


You & Me [Taron Egerton FanFiction]

by biancaleigh19



Category: Kingsman (Movies), Taron Egerton - Fandom
Genre: Celebrity Crush, F/M, Family, Fanfiction, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Love, POV Female Character, POV Male Character, Relationship(s), Romance, Sex, Smut, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-08 17:27:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8854288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biancaleigh19/pseuds/biancaleigh19
Summary: "I meant what I said the other day when I told you that I loved you Belle, I've never felt like this before - about anyone". I blinked slowly and felt my heart flutter in my chest, my breath hitching when Taron reached up to brush his fingers along my cheek.  I realised at that moment that I just couldn't deny it to myself any longer. I was crazy, stupidly, madly in love with him. "I want you to be mine Belle, and even though I know it's not always going to be easy, I want you to know that I will do everything I can to be with you. And even when I can't be there right next to you, I promise you that I'll only ever be a phone call away. It's you and me, love" Taron said as he reached up to cup my face in his hands, "Just you and me".





	1. Chapter 1

__

_Belle's POV:_

 "Yay Ollie!" I shouted, grinning and clapping my hands excitedly, "You did it little man!". I bent down and held out my arms for him, watching as an enormous smile lit up his little face, his big blue eyes crinkling at the sides. "I did it Aunty B!" Oliver shouted when he reached me, clutching the football to his chest as I wrapped my arms around him, "I catched the ball!". I smiled lovingly and kissed his forehead, "I know buddy I saw it! Wait 'till we tell mummy later, she's going to be so proud of you!". Oliver giggled and wriggled out of my arms again, running a few feet away so that he could throw the football back to me. 

"Alright a big one this time Ollie!" I shouted to him, "Throw it really really high, all the way into the sky!". Holding the ball in both hands, he screwed his little face up in concentration and threw the ball up. I clapped and shouted encouragement even though the ball went in an entirely different direction, jogging over and picking it up in one hand. "Okay you ready for this one Ollie? It's gonna be a big one!" I shouted as I returned to him, smiling as he bounced impatiently for the ball, "Remember what I told you, both hands and into your chest!". I mimed catching the ball before tossing it gently, watching as it bounced off his hands and rolled away into the park. 

A high pitched, happy laugh made me turn away from Ollie for a moment, my gaze falling on the toddler sitting on the picnic blanket three feet away from me. "And what are you laughing at little miss Addison?" I cooed, bending down to make sure her red coat was buttoned up properly and laughing when she let out another happy giggle. I felt my face soften as I looked down at her, her adorable, chubby cheeks flushed pink as she let out a string of meaningless baby babble. I smiled and kissed her forehead before reaching over and ruffling my golden retriever Hudson's soft fur. He was panting happily in the watery sunshine as he lay protectively by Addie's side. "Good boy buddy, you stay here with Addie okay?". He whined and licked my hand before shifting to sniff Addie curiously, his long tail wagging softly.

I smiled at the two of them and turned back to the park, my heart instantly dropping when I saw that Oliver was nowhere in sight. _Fuck!_ "Ollie!" I shouted as I jumped to my feet, looking around the park frantically as my heart rate suddenly increased tenfold.  _Shit, Amy was going to murder me!_ I scooped up Addie in one swift motion and started to run in the direction that I had last seen Oliver, Hudson jumping up and running at my side. "Oliver! Where are you Ollie!". Panic seized my chest and I felt my body go numb, my heart feeling like it was about to beat right out of my chest. _He couldn't have gone very far could he?_  "Oliver!" I screamed again, a cold sweat breaking out across my forehead as a chill ran down my spine. My arms reflexively tightened around Addie and I held her to my chest, lifting one hand to my forehead in panic. _What was I going to do?_ "Ollie!".

\---

 

_Taron's POV:_

I side stepped a puddle on the sidewalk and checked both ways for oncoming cars before crossing over the road and into the park. I'd just finished an interview for Kingsman 2 in the city and was on my way home when I'd decided to stop the taxi and walk the rest of the way. Despite it being the first day of Winter, a  weak, watery sunshine was shining through the clouds and giving some light to the otherwise grey, London afternoon. It seemed like the perfect day to go out for a walk. I rubbed my chin and shoved my hands into my pockets, cutting across the grass and walking along the paved path. The park was quiet for a Monday afternoon and I felt my body slowly relax - less people meant less chance of being recognized.

I reached into my pocket for a cigarette when a football suddenly rolled across the path in front of me, stopping only a few feet ahead. I frowned and was about to step towards it just as a little boy - who couldn't have been any older than three or four years old, ran onto the pavement and bent over to pick up the ball. I glanced around as the boy clutched the ball to his chest, wondering where on earth his parents - or whoever else was looking after him, were. _Who leaves a kid alone in a park?_ I watched him look around as if he were searching for someone, the smile on his little face quickly dropping when he realised he was alone. Having seen a similar face on my baby sisters on more than a few occasions, I knew that the child was only seconds away from bursting into tears. I instinctively rushed forward and bent down to eye level with the boy, smiling to reassure him that everything was okay.

"Hey there little man!" I said in a soft voice making sure not to scare him, "I'm Taron! What's your name?". His big blue eyes still threatened tears as he looked up at me, his bottom lip quivering as he held onto the football in his arms. "I'm---I'm Oliver" he finally answered in a tiny, scared voice. It had become quite obvious that he was lost - he must have gotten separated from his mum or had accidentally wandered off somehow. "Hello Oliver. You look a little lost! Who are you looking for?". Oliver took a small step closer to me and looked around at the park again, his eyes wide and fearful as he searched for someone he recognized. "Do you want me to help you find your mum Oliver?" I asked again, smiling when he turned around and nodded gently at me.

_Okay._ I stood up and did a quick scan of the park - no one appeared to be searching for a lost child, let alone looking frantic because their child had gone missing. I didn't know if I should stay where I was in the hope that his parents would find him or take Oliver and look around to try and find them sooner. I looked down when Oliver suddenly grabbed my hand, his little fingers wrapping tightly around mine as his other hand clutched the ball. "I--I catched the ball and--and--and I went to throws it" Oliver explained as we started walking, looking up at me and frowning in confusion as he tried to get the words out. "You were playing catch?" I asked, just as I heard his name being yelled out to my left. 

"Oliver! Oh Ollie where are you?". I watched as the owner of the voice suddenly appeared from behind a row of bushes - a fit looking girl with long caramel coloured hair and a very young child in her arms. _Wow._ "Oh my god Ollie!" she shouted when she saw him, rushing forward just as he let go of my hand and ran over to her to hug her legs. "What did I say about running off like that young man?" she asked as she bent down to his level, hugging him with one arm and then holding him at arms length as if to double check that he was okay, "You scared me half to death!". A golden retriever sat next to the girl, wagging its tail happily as it watched the two of them. I shuffled my feet in the grass and mentally debated about whether or not I should go over an introduce myself, when the girl suddenly looked up and met my gaze. 

She stood up and smiled at me, brushing off her jeans and grabbing Oliver's hand, bringing the young girl in her arms over to her hip. I returned her smile as she made her way over to me, unable to stop myself from checking her out as she walked. She was wearing a soft looking oatmeal coloured sweater and tight blue jeans that seemed to hug every one of her curves, a thick, tan wrap around coat draped over the top. A cherry red scarf was loosely wrapped around her neck with the ends hanging down, tiny hints of tanned, olive skin peaking out from underneath it whenever she moved a certain way. She had long, caramel coloured hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail, the ends of her hair gently swishing in the breeze as she moved.

I was momentarily taken aback when she finally reached me, unable to look at anything else except the girls eyes. She had wide, impossibly bright green eyes that only seemed to shine brighter in the weak sunshine - they weren't a deep emerald colour but instead a softer, washed out green, like a favourite sweater that had been through the wash too many times. Her lips parted into a gorgeous smile and I found myself getting briefly distracted for the second time in less than a minute. _She was beautiful_.  "Thank you so much for finding Ollie" the girl said glancing down at him and then back up at me, "I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found him!". I noticed her Australian accent almost instantly - having spent so much time with Hugh Jackman for my Eddie the Eagle film had made me more than familiar with the sound. I found myself wondering idly if she was a tourist on holiday in London.

It suddenly dawned on me that I'd been blatantly staring at her and I realised that I needed to say something before she decided that I was some sort of freak. I cleared my throat and smiled, "It was no trouble love. I saw him walking alone so I figured he was lost". My insides stirred when she smiled at me again, shifting the baby in her arms to her opposite hip and letting out a soft laugh. "Yes Oliver here has a tendency to wander off sometimes. Don't you Ollie?" she asked looking down at him, his lips curling into a huge, cheeky smile when he looked back up at her. All traces of the lost, frightened child from earlier had up and disappeared. I looked back at the girl and smiled, unable to stop myself from taking in all of her - she was absolutely stunning. All of a sudden I felt the overwhelming urge to ask for her number when I quickly remembered that she had two children with her - she was obviously a mother. Although I couldn't see a ring on her finger, I shoved that idea away immediately and decided to at least introduce myself. 

"I'm Taron by the way" I offered instead, holding out my hand and trying my hardest to hide any disappointment from my face. She stared at me for a moment and looked at me as if she were trying to figure out why I looked familiar to her, before gripping my hand in a gentle shake. The contact of her skin sent shivers straight down my spine and I suddenly wondered if she had felt that too. _Oh Jesus._ "Belle" she replied with another gorgeous smile, "And this adorable little bundle is Addison. Oliver you've already met". I leaned forward to gently squeeze Addison's tiny hand and smiled when she turned her head to look at me, her enormous blue eyes wide and inquisitive. Her tiny mouth parted into an adorable smile - that happy smile that all babies did that could make anyone melt if they saw it, and her little hand wrapped around two of my fingers. I felt my whole face soften and I grinned down at her, wiggling my fingers and laughing when she let out a happy giggle. What was it about a baby's laugh that was so damn cute?

"They're both adorable" I said with a smile when Belle looked back at me, "How old?". She tilted her head and frowned as if she were thinking about the answer - _did she not know how old her children were?_ "Um, Ollie is almost four and Addie--- just turned one a few weeks ago" she said, her reply sounding more like a question than an answer. The dog sitting at Belle's feet suddenly barked and I watched as she smiled and reached down to ruffle its fur, "And this is Hudson, can't forget him of course". I chuckled and bent down to pat him, watching as he sniffed my hand curiously before I touched him. "Not a dog person?". I looked up at Belle and frowned, her green eyes looking down at me intently. "What makes you say that?". She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "You just seem...very cautious around dogs". I shook my head, "Honestly I'm more of a cat person. But I do love dogs" I said as I stood up and brushed the grass from my jeans, my eyes not so subtly following her long legs on the way up.

Belle grinned and let out a soft chuckle - she had an adorable laugh, her eyes widening when she looked down at her watch. "Well, it's getting kinda late. I've gotta get these two home". She looked from Ollie to Addie and then back at me, her lips again parting in another unbelievable smile. I'd never met anyone and been so attracted to them so quickly before - except maybe the German ski instructor that had taught me how to ski for my last movie. She was gorgeous but I'd quickly found out that she'd had a boyfriend. Why did all the girls I like have to be taken?

"Thank you again for finding Ollie, Taron. I really can't thank you enough!" Belle said, her voice shaking me from my thoughts. I smiled, "It's honestly no trouble, love. I was just in the right place at the right time". She grinned and stared at me for a moment, the two of us silent as we looked at one another. The spark between us was undeniable and now I was sure that she could feel it too, my insides going wild as I looked into her eyes. I realised I didn't want her to leave.  _Taron just ask her for her fucking number!_ Belle opened her mouth to say something but soon closed it again, like she had wanted to say something but quickly decided against it. "It was great to meet you Taron, maybe I'll see you around sometime?". 

My eyes widened, _wait. See you around sometime? She wanted to see me again? Did that mean she wasn't taken? Or was she just being nice?_ I shook my head, "It was lovely to meet you too Belle, hopefully I'll see you around sometime yeah? Sometime soon". She grinned and looked down at her shoes for a moment, looking back up at me through her eyelashes a second later. I couldn't believe it - _was she blushing?_ "Say goodbye to Taron you two" Belle said breaking my thoughts, smiling when Ollie waved to me and shouted a happy goodbye. She lifted Addie's hand and tried to get her to wave, letting out a soft giggle when Addie looked up at her with wide eyes instead. "Goodbye mate, try not to go running off anymore!" I shouted as they started to walk away, smiling when both Ollie and Belle laughed out loud. 

I waved until they were out of sight, my body instantly deflating when I could no longer see them. Belle was amazing - meeting her had definitely been the highlight of my day, especially after I'd spent most of it doing interviews. She was absolutely gorgeous, I felt like I hadn't been able to take my eyes off her since the moment I saw her, and her kids were completely adorable. I sighed loudly and reached into my pocket for a cigarette, flicking my lighter as I made my way back to the paved path. There was no way a girl like that could be single, surely. She probably had a big, buff husband and the perfect little family at home. I sighed loudly and took a drag on my cigarette to clear my head. She said she'd see me around sometime - that meant that she wanted to see me again, _didn't it?_ I took another long drag on my cigarette and blew the smoke out through my nose, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. I really had no idea. 

My phone beeped in my pocket and I pulled it out to find a message from the guys, asking if we were still on for tonight. I'd messaged them all earlier inviting them over for pints at my place tonight, knowing that it had been at least a couple of weeks since I'd seen them all - and even longer since we'd all done something together. I typed a quick message in reply telling them to come to mine whenever, taking a final drag on my smoke before stubbing it out with my foot. I couldn't seem to stop thinking about Belle. I'd met her for five minutes and I was already hung up on her, even though I knew nothing about her - and that I'd probably never see her again. I was already regretting having not asked her for her number - if I had, I'd know for sure if she was actually single or not. She could have either given it to me or blown me off and said that she was taken. Now I was always going to be stuck wondering if I actually had a chance with the amazing girl from the park. I exhaled loudly and kicked a loose stone across the footpath, scolding myself for not seizing an opportunity.  _For fuck sake Taron._

Finally reaching my apartment, I walked through the door and kicked it closed with my foot, slipping off my shoes and flopping down onto the couch. The lads weren't going to be here until six so I still had a few hours to kill. I switched on the TV and flicked aimlessly through the thousand channels that I had, trying to find something to watch that would take my mind off Belle. Why was daytime TV always so shit? I gave up after a few minutes of searching and settled on an old episode of Family Guy, lying back on the couch and sighing loudly as I watched the screen. I couldn't get Belle and her wide, gorgeous smile out of my head. _Why had I not asked her for her number?_  I groaned in frustration and dropped my head off the back of the couch, tapping my foot against the floorboards as I stared mindlessly up at the ceiling. _That girl was going to be on my mind for days._

 

I knew that I'd been out of the game for a while - it had been several months since I'd last slept with someone and at least three years since my last relationship. Most people, including my mates, thought that because of my job I'd be having ridiculous amounts of sex from all the female attention I was getting - they couldn't be more wrong. With the constant filming, press tours and interviews I'd been doing over the past year, it made it almost impossible to meet anyone let alone talk to them long enough to take them home with me. 

While I loved my job and couldn't be more thankful for the opportunities and experiences I'd had because of it, the one thing I hated most about it was the loneliness. My family and many of my friends were all back home in Aberystwyth and while that was only a few-hour train ride away from London, I still didn't get to see them as much as I would have liked. Living alone in London had made me realise how lonely I was and just how much I wished I had someone to come home to at the end of the day. Sure I had the lads, but that wasn't the same thing. Coming home to a girlfriend and having dinner with her and then having a lazy night cuddling on the couch, being able to kiss her and go to sleep with her in my arms at the end of the day - was there really anything better? 

\---

 

_Belle's POV:_

"There you go sweetheart" I said as I finished changing Addie, "Is that better?" I cooed in a baby voice, smiling when she let out a happy giggle. "So how was the park?" Amy asked me when I walked back into the living room, holding out her arms and gesturing for Addie. I passed Addie to her mother and flopped down onto the couch, glancing briefly at the cartoon that had Oliver practically glued to the TV screen. "Well, it was interesting. For one, your son decided to wander off and basically give me a heart attack". Amy snorted as she rocked Addie in her arms, her big blue eyes crinkling when she grinned. "Please. Just wait until you have your own kids". Now it was my turn to snort. "Yeah because that's going to be happening anytime soon". Amy shook her head, "I know I tell you this all the time and you _never_  listen, but as your older, wiser cousin, I'm telling you that your life can't just be about work. You need to get out there Belle".

I laughed, "Older and wiser? Amy, you're 31. You're four years older than me". "Exactly, that's four years more life experience. I know your job is important to you - and it should be, you're amazing at what you do. But you have to remember to take time for yourself". I rolled my eyes - this was something she said to me at least once a week. "I know, I know. Look I've got two and a half weeks left and then I've got three weeks off from the hospital for Christmas. I'll have my 'me time' then" I said making quotation gestures with my fingers when I said 'me time'. Amy sighed loudly, "You know, you were never this stubborn when you were little". I narrowed my eyes at her, that was another thing she said to me at least once a week _._ "Aw come on! Don't act like you're not stubborn! I've seen the way you are with Paul". Paul was Amy's husband and they'd met shortly after she'd first moved to London. He had just finished his time in the British Navy when he'd met Amy - a 24 year old teacher that had just moved all the way from Australia. It had been love at first sight and less than a year later, he asked Amy to marry him.

I smiled lovingly as memories of the wedding started to play in my head - it had been one of those magical weddings that you only ever saw in movies. Everything from Amy's stunning dress to the enormous wedding cake had been absolutely perfect. Even now, six years later, Paul and Amy seemed to have the perfect marriage. She was hard headed and stubborn and he was still every bit madly, irrevocably in love with her like he had been from day one. "Excuse me but this is about you not me. You need to take some time to focus on yourself. AND you need to meet someone B, it's been way too long. You're gorgeous, funny and you're smart - you're a fucking doctor for god's sake. It would be like fishing out of a barrel for you" Amy said, whispering the curse word so that Ollie wouldn't hear. I rolled my eyes again for the third time in ten minutes, "Do you know how hard it is to meet someone when you have a job like mine? I work like 60 hours a week - and that's a good week". 

I was a pediatrician working at the Great Ormond Street Hospital - one of the best children's hospital's in London. One year into my post grad medical degree back home in Australia, I decided that I wanted to see more of the world and started to research studying abroad. Although I hadn't expected to get in, I'd taken a chance and applied at all of the major universities in both America and the UK, after deciding that I had nothing to lose by simply applying. To my shock and utter disbelief, I later received an offer to study at Cambridge and had promptly packed up my life, kissed my family goodbye and made the move over to England less than a month later. Three years later at 24 years old, I graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and a residency offer for the children's hospital in London - I'd since completed my three year residency and had been working there ever since. Although the workload was practically insane, I couldn't help but love every moment of my job.

"Well of course it's going to be hard with that attitude. But that doesn't mean it's impossible" Amy said, running her fingers through her ashy blonde hair and looking down at Addie who was now dozing in her arms. Hudson padded over to me and sat between my legs, resting his face on my thigh and looking up at me with his liquid brown eyes. I smiled and gently stroked his fur, suddenly remembering the gorgeous guy that had found Ollie in the park earlier. Something about him seemed so damn familiar but I couldn't for the life of me figure out where I'd seen him before. Maybe he'd been at the hospital? I frowned, surely I'd remember a guy as cute as that if I had seen him before.  "Actually speaking of" I said suddenly, looking up at Amy, "There was a guy at the park today". Amy's eyes instantly widened in surprise, "He found Ollie when he wandered off. His name was... Taron?". Amy grinned, "Was he cute?". I shook my head, unable to help the smile that grew on my face, "Gorgeous. He had this amazingly chiselled jaw and these bright, piercing green eyes". 

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I spoke about him, remembering the way his amazing green eyes had looked at me - it was like he had been looking right through me. "Is he a local?". I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know I didn't ask. He had an accent though - Welsh I think? Whatever it was, it was really sexy". I smiled remembering his velvety voice, my insides stirring at the thought. I'd never met anyone and been so attracted to them so quickly before. Amy frowned again, "Well did you at least get his number?". I frowned, "Amy, I had two kids with me for god's sake. Your two kids!" I answered, shaking my head incredulously. "Oh my god Belle, so what? You should have asked for his number!" Amy scolded, shaking her head at me in disappointment. "See this is what I mean, you need to put yourself out there. Now you've lost your chance with this gorgeous guy!". 

"Okay! I'm changing the subject now because I don't want to talk about this anymore" I said putting my hand up in a stop gesture and interrupting her as she continued to lecture me on what I should have done. She pulled a face at me and I stuck my tongue out in return, the both of us immediately collapsing into giggles. As much as she pissed me off sometimes, I could never seem to stay mad at Amy, she was my family after all, and the only family I had in London with me. In the six years that I'd been in the UK, she'd been there for me through everything, always offering me advice or a shoulder whenever I needed it, helping me through the stress-filled study sessions, the breakups and practically everything else. Anyone would have thought that she was my sister rather than my cousin.

We both turned as Paul suddenly walked through the front door, Oliver squealing with delight when he saw his dad appear in the entrance to the living room. "Daddy!" he yelled, scrambling to his feet and running over as Paul dropped his tool bag onto the ground. "Hey little man!" he said with a grin, scooping up his son and swinging him around playfully. "Babe, Addie's sleeping" Amy whispered loudly, Paul immediately stopping his swinging of Ollie and flashing an apologetic smile to his wife. "And how are my favourite girls doing?" he asked as he put Ollie down, "That includes you too by the way Belle" Amy added in with a smirk as Paul leaned down to kiss my cheek. "How's it going Doc?". I laughed and rolled my eyes - he'd been calling me that since the moment I'd stepped off the graduation stage. "I'm good Paulie. How was work?". "Wasn't too bad actually. Hey baby" Paul said when he walked over to Amy, bending down to kiss her and then Addison.

My face softened as I watched Amy and Paul and all of a sudden I felt like I was intruding on a special moment between the two of them. I smiled and looked away, my gaze falling on Hudson as he lay curled in a ball at my feet. Whenever I spent time with my cousin I found myself wishing that I had someone of my own. Someone to be there at the end of the day, someone to talk to about all of my hopes, dreams and feelings, someone to love me for me. It had been at least two months since I had last been on a date - a blind date with a guy name Andrew set up by the nurses from work that turned out to be all kinds of wrong, and even longer since I had last slept with someone. Amy and my girlfriends all insisted that I didn't try hard enough and that I was too picky with my men. Well, maybe I was. Why was it so wrong to want the guy that I date to perfect?

I thought about Taron again and racked my brain to figure out why he looked so familiar, unable to get his amazing green eyes or gorgeous, lazy smile out of my mind. I knew nothing about him and I knew I'd probably never see him again, so why couldn't I seem to get him out of my head? I frowned and leaned my head back against the couch, suddenly wishing that by some weird twist of fate I'd run into him again. Why, why, why hadn't I just asked for his number when I had the chance?  I thought about Amy's words from earlier and wondered if she was right. Had I really lost my chance with him? I closed my eyes and let out a soft sigh, I really didn't know. But I really did hope that she was wrong.

\---


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'd love to know what you're all thinking about my Taron fanfic so far. Give me some comments about what you think or what you'd like to see happen between Belle and Taron! I have a couple of ideas in mind that I think you're all going to like! :) x

__

_Taron's POV:_

 "So what'd she look like?". "Yeah was she fit?". I laughed at the boys and took a long sip of my beer, "Oh like you have no idea lads. I still can't believe I didn't get her fuckin' number" I groaned, running my fingers through my hair and sinking deeper into the sofa. Three hours later, I'd still gotten no closer to getting Belle out of my mind. I was completely hung up on a stranger. "Wow, it really has been too long since you've been with a bird hasn't it?" Blake asked, nudging me with his elbow and laughing when the other two chuckled. I rolled my eyes, "Yeah some mates you guys are. Thanks for all the support boys". "Aw mate don't get all wet on us" Jack said without looking at me, his eyes glued to the football match that was playing on the TV, "You know that outta the four of us you'd still have the best chance with a bird". I rolled my eyes again, "I don't know why you keep thinking that. I've told you what it's like".

Now it was Paddy's turn to speak up. "Yeah yeah we've heard it all before mate, you don't have the time. But c'mon, we've all seen the girls screaming for you on TV. Not to mention all the ones on Twitter. You could literally snap your fingers and they'd all come runnin'". Jack laughed and clinked his bottle against Paddy's, the two of them taking, long, noisy sips of their beers. I shook my head and let out a sigh. They were only trying to stir me up but I knew they just didn't understand. It wasn't as easy as they all thought it was. Besides, I didn't exactly want to date one of my fans - I wanted a woman. _A woman like Belle_ , I thought with another sigh. Blake put his feet up on the coffee table and turned his head to face the boys, his face looking like a light bulb had just gone off in his head. "Why don't we all go out this weekend and find Taron a bird. Whadya say lads? It's been a while since we've all been out together anyway". Jack and Paddy looked at Blake and nodded simultaneously, "Yeah we're in". 

I shook my head, "I'm not. I'm going to LA this weekend for the Sing premiere. I'm leaving Friday". The boys all collectively scoffed. "Thursday then?" Blake offered, "It's almost Christmas so you know that there will be people out having drinks even on a Thursday". I tilted my head - he did have a point. With Christmas only three weeks away, the pubs were practically full almost every night of the week. Christmas parties and after work drinks, last minute catch ups before everyone went away for the holidays. "Where would we go though lads?" I asked, tapping my fingers against the side of my beer bottle and putting my feet up next to Blake's. He shrugged, "Anywhere. I'm sure we can find somewhere, a bar or a pub or something". "And if not there's always old' faithful" Jack added in with a grin, referring to our local pub 'The Prince'. Paddy snorted, "Yeah cos' The Prince is always filled with girls yeah?". Jack grinned and took another swig of his beer, "You never know mate".

"So you in Taron?". I laughed and turned away from the TV as the football replays cut to an ad break, "Yeah yeah whatever, I'm in". The boys all cheered and raised their glasses, Blake nudging me again with his arm. "Don't worry bruv, we'll find you a bird". I smirked and ran my fingers through my hair, shaking my head at my three friends. It was true it had been a while since we'd all been out together - with my constant filming, interviews and flights in and out of the country, it was always hard to find time for the four of us to meet up. Going out with the guys on Thursday would be just like old times - plenty of beers and - if we were lucky, plenty of girls.

I smiled to myself as memories of drunken nights with the boys started to replay in my head - that all felt like so long ago now. It was well and truly time for another night out together. I sat up and drained the last of my beer, realizing that I was actually looking forward to Thursday night. "Whose up for another?" I asked as I stood up from the sofa, stretching my arms up above my head and walking over into the kitchen. I pulled four bottles out of the fridge as they all shouted out yes, snapping the lids off and returning a moment later. I flopped back down onto the couch with my new beer just as the TV showed a repeat of a game-winning goal from the football final in 2010, my phone suddenly vibrating to life on the coffee table in front of me. I picked up my phone and slid my finger across the screen, leaning back on the couch as I held the phone to my ear. "Hey mum".

\---

 

_Belle's POV:_

"Was he cute?" Roxanne asked, tilting her head and looking up at me from her spot at the table. "Oh he was gorgeous Rox. He had this amazing chiseled jawline and like, just the right amount of stubble". I'd just finished telling the girls every single detail of my encounter with Taron at the park today - from him finding Ollie to his gorgeous green eyes. "I still can't believe you didn't ask for his number B" Tash added in, looking up at me as she lovingly petted Smudge, my tabby cat who had made herself at home on her lap. "Alright now you're starting to sound like Amy" I said pointing at her with the sponge I was using to clean the dishes. Tash flicked her blonde hair and held her hands up in a surrender gesture, "Hey I'm just saying". "B you never know, you might see him again. I mean you said it yourself he looked familiar - maybe you've seen him around somewhere?" Rhiannon added, flashing me a reassuring smile as she dried the dishes next to me. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled back at her, hoping that she was right. 

Even after I'd left Amy's earlier, I still hadn't been able to stop thinking about Taron. It was like an itch that I just couldn't scratch - _where_ _the hell had I seen him before?_ I rinsed the soap suds off the last dinner plate in the sink and handed it to Rhiannon, giving her arm a gentle squeeze as a way of saying thank you for helping me. She smiled before she put the last of the dishes away, folding up the tea towel and moving to sit at the table with Roxanne. I grabbed my near empty wine glass and joined the girls at the table, stopping briefly to bend and give Hudson a quick pat. I sat down at the table and shook my head, knowing that I had to come to terms with the fact that I'd probably never see Taron again. I let out a disappointed sigh and took a sip of my wine, deciding to at least change the subject in an attempt to get my mind off of him. "How was work for you guys today?" I asked just as Smudge abandoned Tash and jumped up onto my lap.

"It wasn't too bad actually. I'm so close to that fucking promotion I can taste it" Tash answered first, standing up from her spot at the kitchen bench and moving to join us at the table, "I just need to beat that bitch Helena". I smiled affectionately, Tash Jordan was one of the first friends I made when I moved to London - we'd met in the bathroom of a club during a drunken night out. I'd walked in and found her almost in tears because her dress had torn and I'd reassured her as I pulled a safety pin out of my purse. I proceeded to fix her dress and smiled when she'd said thank you fifteen times, before wrapping me in a strawberry scented hug and dragging me out onto the dance floor. We'd been best friends ever since. 

Tash, like me, wasn't a local girl, she was born and raised in New York city and had moved to London after falling in love with the city during a holiday. She had shoulder length, shiny blonde hair and deep blue eyes, and a to-die-for slim figure. Men tended to stop and gawk at her whenever she walked past, following her around like lost puppies whenever she gave them even the slightest hint of attention. Tash was the kind of girl that always got her way - mostly because people could never seem to say no to her. It was exactly this quality that made her so good at her job - she was currently working as a car saleswoman at Mercedes Benz and had been told that she was in the running to be promoted to Sales Manager of the dealership. "When do you find out if you got it T?" Rox asked without looking up at Tash, her concentration focused solely on her nails which she was painting with my borrowed nude polish. 

"Thursday" Tash said with a sigh, leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms up, "It's like it's right there in front of me but I just can't get it". "I'm sure you'll get it babe, I mean come on there's no way Ryan wouldn't pick you" I said referring to her boss who we all knew thought Tash was nothing short of a goddess. She nodded, "I know, I know. I just...  I have this little bit of doubt. Helena is killing it in sales this month". Helena was Tash's biggest rival at work - they were always competing for something, whether it be higher sales or the attention of their boss. I smiled sympathetically and reached over to squeeze her shoulder, "When do you break up for the holidays?". Tash ran her fingers through her wavy blonde hair and tilted her head, "The Friday after next. And then I'm heading home on the 22nd to spend Christmas with the family. What about you two, are you going home too?" Tash asked, looking over at the other two girls questioningly.

Roxanne and Rhiannon Ryan were twins from Swansea, Wales. They both had enormous, deep green eyes and milky white skin and if it weren't for their different hair colours, most people would have trouble telling them apart. Rox had long flowing, strawberry blonde hair that always managed to look amazing no matter how she styled it, while her sister Rhi had dyed dark, almost black hair that made her already bright green eyes glow even brighter. I met Roxanne while I was at Cambridge - she was studying to be a nurse and we had been put together in the same ward during our clinical placement. Although her course finished three years earlier than mine, we had both managed to get jobs at the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital - she working as a pediatric nurse and me as a pediatrician. Her sister Rhiannon had also gone to Cambridge, though had instead studied to become a vet. I'd introduced the Tash to the twins one night and they had all bonded instantly - now, several years later, the four of us were inseparable.

Rhi, who had been braiding her long dark hair, turned to look at her sister and then back at Tash and I. "I finish on the 18th but Rox doesn't finish till the Sunday or something?". Rox nodded, looking up from her nails and then over at me, "Sunday the 20th. Same time as you yeah B?". I nodded and looked down as I stroked Smudge's silky fur, smiling when she started to purr in my lap. "Well I'm waiting around for her and then we're going to drive home the next day. Stay with the family for a week or so in Wales" Rhi said, looking over at me and smiling. "B what are you going to do for Christmas? Please don't tell me you're going to sit at home by yourself like you did last year" Tash asked suddenly, nudging me with her elbow and raising an eyebrow at me.

I rolled my eyes when I felt all three pairs of eyes on me. _Here we go._ "Nooo" I chipped back, shaking my head at the three girls, "And why is that such a big deal anyway?". Now it was Rox's turn to weigh in, "B, it's Christmas for god's sake. You can't be sitting at home alone. I swear we will drag you off to Wales again if you say you're not doing anything. You know it will be no problem either, you know how much our mum loves you". I laughed at the mention of Mumma Ryan, smiling as the memory of Christmas with them started to play in my head. It had been my second year in London and I hadn't been able fly home because I had placement over the holiday break. The twins had insisted that I go with them to Wales and had promptly packed me into the car to stay with them and the rest of their family. It had been nothing but too much food, strong drinks and ridiculous amounts of laughter with the Ryan's, even when their older brother Michael had gotten drunk and tried to kiss me - on more than one occasion.

While it was true that I hadn't made any plans to go home for Christmas - dad had gone on a 3 month trip around the Europe with his fiancé Lisa and mum was going on a cruise with the rest of the extended family back home, I knew that Amy was doing something with Paul's family and I'd more than likely tag along to that. "You can always come to New York with me if you want B" Tash added in hopefully, picking up her phone, "In fact I can book you a plane ticket right now!'. I flashed her a soft smile and tilted my head, "As tempting as another Christmas with the Ryan's in Wales sounds, as does Christmas with you in New York T, I think I'm just going to spend it with Amy this year. See the kids and have dinner and what not" I said still patting Smudge, reaching out for my wine glass with my free hand.

"It's too hard to find a sitter for these two anyway" I added after, looking at Smudge and then at Hudson who was dozing peacefully in his bed near the couch. "Well whatever B, as long as you don't spend it alone" Rox said as she finished her nails, screwing the lid back on the tiny bottle of polish and smiling at me, "You have people that love you, Christmas is the time to be with those people". I felt my heart swell as I looked at my three friends, realising just how much I loved them all. We had been friends for years now and had been by each other's sides through everything - through all the graduations, boyfriends, breakups and just about everything else. They had become my makeshift family while I was living in London and all three of them were like the sisters I never had.

Tash reached up and stretched her arms above her head, letting out a loud yawn. "On that note, I think I'm going to head off girls. I have an early morning meeting tomorrow and I plan on being there bright and early". She stood up and picked up her long black coat, shrugging it on and wrapping it tightly around herself. "Yeah I think I might too, I've got a couple of surgeries to do tomorrow so I need to get some decent sleep" Rhi added, standing up and walking over to give Hudson a quick cuddle. He lifted his head and licked her affectionately, Rhi letting out a small squeal of laughter in response. Rhiannon had been the vet for both Hudson and Smudge since they had been babies and they loved her ridiculously - sometimes even more than they loved me. I smiled as I watched them and drained the last of my wine.

"Rox what are you doing? You staying here?" Rhi asked her sister as she stood up and walked back over to the door. Smudge let out a small meow, clearly unhappy with my moving around as I turned to face Rox. "What time are you starting tomorrow?" I asked, watching as she tilted her head to think about the answer. "I'm doing 5 till 3, rotating" she replied, reaching up to pull her long strawberry locks out of its messy bun. "I'm starting at 5.30. You wanna stay here then? We can leave together, I need to go in early anyway" I added, shrugging my shoulders. Because Rox and I worked at the children's hospital together, she often stayed at my house whenever we started at similar times - my house was closer to the hospital and it meant that we could leave together in the morning. The spare bedroom in my double story studio apartment had practically been taken over by her, she even had several drawers full of her clothes that lived here permanently.

"Are you sure?" Rox asked, looking at me and then at her fingernails which were still drying. I frowned and shook my head at her, unsure as to why she continued to ask me if it was okay even though she'd been staying at my house for several years now. "I'm not even going to answer that" I said waving her off with my hand and turning back to the other girls as they stood at the door. "Thanks for dinner B. It was amazing as always" Tash said as she leaned forward to kiss my cheek, stopping to give Smudge a final pat. I grinned, "That's because I'm the only one here that can actually cook". "Hey! I can so cook!" Rox added in, making the three of us all laugh, "And anyway, you're Italian. You _should_ be the best cook here". I stuck my tongue out at her and laughed when she pulled a face back at me, Smudge finally having enough and jumping off my lap a moment later.

\---

Rox and I both said our goodbye's and waved as Tash and Rhi left, moving into the lounge room to sit and watch TV. "So when do you leave?" Rox asked as she stretched out her legs on the couch, looking over at me as I flopped down onto the adjacent sofa. "Friday morning and then coming home Sunday night. I wish you were coming with me Rox, it's gonna be so fucking boring without you" I said with a yawn, smiling when Hudson jumped up and lay down next to me, resting his head onto my thigh. Rox laughed, "Yeah well nurses don't get invited to events like that. Doctors only" she said in a mocking voice. 

Last month, myself and several other doctors from the hospital had been invited to attend a conference event for global children's health - in Los Angeles. Pediatricians from all of the major countries in the world would be attending the conference and a charity ball later that night in an effort to raise money for the cause. I still wasn't sure why I had been chosen to attend - especially when I didn't have nearly as many years of experience compared to some of the other doctors that I worked with, but when I had asked Carrie, our head of public relations about it, she'd said that they'd wanted young, empowering females to go and speak on behalf of the hospital. I'd agreed after finding out that it was pretty much an all expenses paid trip, the only thing I had to do was find a dress to wear for the ball.

I couldn't deny that I was a tiny bit excited about it - I hadn't yet been to LA even though it had been on my list of places to go since I'd turned eighteen. I didn't even mind that I had to talk about the hospital in front of two hundred well-respected doctors, public speaking wasn't something that I'd ever had a problem with and I knew that the ball would be no different. "Are you sure you're still right to look after these two Rox?" I asked, gesturing to Hudson next to me and Smudge who had cuddled into Rox. She glanced at me and nodded, running her fingers through her long hair. "I'm just going to stay here after work on Friday until you get back. They'll be fine I promise". "You're the best Rox" I said with a smile, lifting my legs onto the couch and tucking my feet underneath Hudson. Rox grinned and winked at me, "And don't you forget it". 

I grinned and turned back to the TV, watching as Rox flicked aimlessly through the channels in an attempt to find something to watch. "Oh my god Rox, can you just pick one already?" I shouted when she still hadn't made a decision several minutes later, holding my hands out in a what-the-fuck gesture and looking over at her exasperated, "You've been flicking through for like ten minutes now, just pick one!". Rox scoffed, "It's not my fault! How can you have this many fucking channels and nothing decent to watch?" she moaned, dropping her head back on the couch and sighing dramatically.

I rolled my eyes, "Give me the remote" I commanded as I leaned over to try and snatch it from her. She held it out of my reach and pulled a face at me, refusing to hand over the remote. She was so damn stubborn but I knew that's why we were so close - I was just as bad as her, if not worse. "At least go to the movie channels, they are the only things you _haven't_ flicked through yet" I replied sarcastically. Eventually she navigated to the right channels after several minutes of refusing to listen to my instructions and once again started to flick through. I shook my head and reached down to stroke Hudson's silky golden fur, smiling as he looked up at me with his huge, liquid eyes.  

"Oh Kingsman is on!" Rox said finally, looking over at me and gesturing to the movie that had just started playing on the screen, "Have you seen it?". I turned to look at the TV and nodded - I'd seen the movie a couple of times and had surprised myself by really enjoying it. Colin Firth was absolutely amazing in it, not to mention the main character Eggsy. "It's so fucking good, I can't wait until they bring out the second one next year!" Rox said with a grin, nodding her head as a scene with Michael Caine and Colin Firth played out on the screen.

"I didn't even know they were bringing out a second one?". She nodded again, "Yeah the Kingsman go to America this time. And apparently Channing Tatum is in it somehow too". We both swooned at the mention of Channing, the two of us having fallen in love with him the moment we saw him dancing in Step Up. The two of us watched in silence as the movie continued, my hand still gently stroking Hudson's head as he began to doze peacefully next to me. 

_'The world is changing. There's a reason why aristocrats developed weak chins'_ Colin Firth's character said before walking out of the room, the film quickly cutting to a new scene. We watched as Eggsy's medal appeared next, the camera slowly panning out and moving up until his face came into view.  I'd forgotten how gorgeous the actor that played Eggsy was - his jawline was amazingly sharp and chiseled and for a moment I couldn't help but wonder how he would look with just a hint of stubble... All of a sudden my eyes widened and I felt like a firework had exploded in my head. _Oh my god!_ I jolted upright and let out a scream, both Rox and Smudge jumping up on the couch and looking like they'd both just been electrocuted. "B, what the _fuck_?" she asked, looking at me with her hand holding her chest, "Don't _do_ that, you almost gave me a heart attack!".

I stared at the screen, gaping like a fish and unable to say a word. I couldn't believe it, it was...Taron! Of course he looked familiar, he was a _fucking actor!_ "Belle, what's wrong? What is it?" she asked, looking at me and then back at the screen as she tried to figure out what was wrong with me. "Use your words B, what is it?". "T-T---Taron" I stuttered, watching as his character bent over to soothe his crying sister in her crib. "Yes, it's Taron Egerton. But I still don't get why you screamed?". I finally tore my eyes away from the screen and over to Rox, her face the picture of confusion. "Taron!" I shouted again, willing her to understand as I pointed desperately at the TV. I couldn't seem to get any words other than his name out of my mouth. Rox frowned and looked at the screen and back at me, looking at me like I'd gone completely insane. 

All of a sudden her green eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, and I watched as the realization of what I had been talking about finally hit her. "Taron--- wait, that's the Taron you met today? Taron Egerton!?" she asked incredulously, fighting the urge to scream like I had earlier. I turned back to the movie and felt nothing but pure shock as I watched his face on the screen. It was the same chiseled jawline but without the stubble, the same gorgeous green eyes and the same handsome face. It was really him! I shook my head and felt my heart race in my chest, my mind still trying desperately to process what I'd just realised. I couldn't believe it, _I'd met Taron Egerton!_

\---


	3. Chapter 3

__

_Belle's POV:_

"Alright miss Cassie, how are we feeling today?" I asked as I walked into the ward, picking up her chart and quickly skimming through it, "Are you sore? Feeling sick at all?". Cassie shook her head softly and gave me a weak thumbs up, "I'm just really---tired" she said through a small yawn, her brown eyes wide and weary as she looked up at me. "That's just the anaesthetic. That will wear off in a few hours. You did great in there, I told you there was nothing to be scared about" I said reassuringly, double checking over the tubes and drips that were hanging out of Cassie's arm. She had been rushed in from emergency last night after having serious stomach pain which had turned out to be appendicitis.

"So the procedure was all normal then?" Cassie's mother asked, reaching over to squeeze her daughter's hand reassuringly before looking up at me. I glanced down at the chart again and nodded, "It was a completely standard appendectomy. No complications at all. Her appendix was intact when it was taken out and hadn't yet burst. Cassie is going to be fine" I said with a smile, "You've got a real soldier over here Mrs Taylor. She's a toughie" I exclaimed with a wink at the young teenager. Cassie flashed her mum an exhausted grin and shifted on the bed, her face wincing slightly when she moved. "That pain is normal there Cassie, you're going to feel very bruised for a couple of days. You just need to take it easy okay? Now I just want to check your wounds and then we'll get one of the nurses in here to give you some more medicine okay?" I said as I scribbled a quick note on her chart.

Cassie nodded and slowly sat up on the bed, her mother helping her to pull down the blankets. "Alright" I sang as I put on a pair of gloves, bending over Cassie and gently inspecting the small wounds on her hip and stomach, "These are looking great, the stitches should heal up quite nicely". "Try not to pick or scratch at them okay?" I said to Cassie as I pulled my gloves off, "They are going to get itchy as they heal but try your best not to touch them. They'll heal quicker that way. Otherwise, you'll have to come back and see me again" I teased with another wink, smiling when Cassie let out a giggle. "So we'll get one of the nurses in here and--- Oh here's Ash". "Ready for more medicine?" Ash, the nurse who had just walked into the room asked with a smile, her bright red scrubs instantly lighting up the hospital ward. I handed Cassie's chart to Ash and watched as she set about getting Cassie's pain relief, turning back to Cassie just as her mother tucked her back into bed.

"So Ash here is going to take care of you, and I will be back to check on you in an hour or so. If you're doing well when I get back, we'll be able to get some food into you". Cassie's face lit up at the mention of food and I lifted my clipboard to the side of my face as if I was going to tell her a secret, "And I'll see if I can snag you some of the good ice cream too" I whispered loudly, watching as her smile turned into an enormous grin. "Thank you Dr G" Cassie's mother said as I waved to them both, flashing Cassie one last smile before I left the room. I checked my clipboard as I walked down the colourful hallway to see what was next on my schedule for the day, winking at Rox when we saw each other in the corridor. "Busy?" she asked as we passed each other, bumping me with her hip and returning my wink. "Oh you have no idea" I called out to her in response before rounding the corner.

Because it was the end of the year, many of the staff at the hospital had started to take their annual leave and Christmas holidays. That meant that for all of December and most of January, everyone was extremely busy as they covered both their own and other staff's patients and duties. It wasn't so bad for the nurses since there were so many of them working at the hospital - holidays and days off could generally be covered quite easily. For the doctors such as myself however, it was an entirely different story. Each day the patient load was shared between the doctors on duty, on top of what we already had. Today - and for all of last week, I was covering for Dr Williams, one of my senior colleagues who was currently away in Hawaii with her family. She was a pediatric gastroenterologist - meaning she worked with children who had issues with any of their digestive organs, as well as one of the resident cancer specialists at the hospital.

I ducked into my office and took a large sip of my now stone-cold coffee, quickly glancing at the agenda on my laptop to check if anything had been added to it while I was gone. I was scheduled to do a round in the 'Elephant ward' for the next hour - one of the hospital's cancer wards that I visited at almost every chance I got, and then following that I had a new patient that had been referred to us from a hospital in Wales. After that, the rest of my day was to be spent checking up on patients coming out of various surgeries. I drained the last of my coffee and smoothed out my black trousers, making my way out of my office and towards the cancer wards. Visiting the kids in the chronic illness wards was something I simultaneously loved and hated. The children were all so beautiful and so tough as they each battled through their sicknesses, but at the same time it absolutely broke my heart to see them all like that - not being able to run around and play outside like normal kids, constantly being attached to machines and drips and having to sit through hours and hours of treatment. It was no life for a child to have.

I made my way through the brightly coloured hallways adorned with various pieces of artwork and creations made by many of the hospital's patients, and rounded the corner until I finally reached the Elephant ward. Although I hadn't yet finished my training to become a registered cancer specialist, the ward was one of my most visited places in the entire hospital. It was the first ward that I'd been assigned to in my first week of work and I'd since found myself becoming incredibly attached to many of the patients there - some of which, were still there three years later. Many of the children I'd met there in fact, were the reason that I'd decided to specialize in the field of cancer to begin with. I stood in front of the door painted with an enormous, blue cartoon Elephant that kids had all affectionately named 'Ellie', and smiled when I heard the sound of laughter in the room behind them. I let out a soft sigh and gently pushed opened the door, sticking my head through the gap and grinning. "And how are my _favourite_ patients doing today?".

\---

_Taron's POV:_

"Great Ormond Street Hospital thanks mate" I said as I jumped into the black taxi, leaning back into the seat and pulling out my phone. I flicked through until I found mum and pressed call on her name, lifting the phone to my ear and watching through the window as we drove through the streets of London. Last night while all of the lads had been over, mum had called and told me that she was bringing my youngest sister Serena to London because she'd needed to see a specialist at the children's hospital. Serena, who'd been into hospital only last month, had broken down into tears at the idea of having to go to hospital again and mum immediately called me knowing that Serena would calm down if I was there with her.

"Taron love, where are you?" Mum asked when she answered the phone, a hint of worry in her voice. "Hey mam, I just got in the taxi now. I'll be about ten minutes. Tell Seri I won't be long". "Alright love, she's waiting for you. I'll send you the number of the room we're in". "Thanks mam" I answered with a nod, watching as the suburban houses we were passing began to turn into city buildings. "See you soon love" Mum said before the line went dead, the taxi now cruising through the busy city streets. I arrived at the hospital 5 minutes later, handing the driver a tenner and jumping out of the taxi. I made my way through the hospital doors and towards the front desk, stopping to ask the kind-looking lady behind the desk for directions.

"Hello dear, how can I help you today?" the older woman asked, her pale blue eyes crinkling behind her wire-rimmed glasses. "I'm here to see my little sister. Can you tell me where I can find---" I said pausing to open up the message that mum had sent me, "The dolphin wing, room 4?" I said, reading from my phone. "The dolphin wing is on the third floor love, so head around to the left and the elevators are just there. When you get to the third floor, turn right out of the elevators and room 4 will be on the left side of the corridor". "Thank you very much" I answered as I headed towards the elevators, "Anytime dear".

I followed the woman's directions and walked along the corridor of the third floor, flashing one of the nurses a small smile as I passed her in the hallway. When I finally reached room four, I opened the door quietly only to be greeted by a small shriek from my teary little sister. "Taron!" she squealed, her small, tear-stained face lighting up when she saw me, her tiny body looking lost in the hospital bed. "Shh sweetheart, we have to be quiet" Mum said to Serena before turning to me, "Hi love". "Hey mammy" I said as I gently shut the door behind me, walking over to kiss her cheek and then turning to Serena in the bed. "Hey Seri star!" I said in a loud whisper, bending over to attack her face with kisses and grinning when she let out a shriek of laughter. "Taron hon, what did I just say?". "Sorry mam" I said with a laugh, sitting down on the chair next to the bed and pulling a face at Serena.

"So what's going on this time? Why is she here again?". Mum shrugged, "She's in pain again. It hurts her to eat now, and she wakes up most mornings in tears. I thought it would have been all fixed after the last surgery". I frowned and turned to look at Serena who had started to play with some of the hospital toys, "Do they know what it is?". "Apparently it was just a hernia last time but whatever it is, it's come back. They sent us here instead, there's a specialist doctor here. Hopefully this will be the last one" Mum answered with a sigh. "What about Ari? How's she?" I asked, referring to my other younger sister Ariana. Mum flashed me a half smile and shrugged, "Poor dear desperately wanted to come with us but I made her stay at home with Harry. She'd be better off at home, I didn't want her to see her sister like this". I nodded and glanced back at Serena, "So what time is the doctor meant to be here?".

Just as mum opened her mouth to answer, the room door opened and we all looked up to see the doctor standing in the doorway, her back to us as she spoke to one of the nurses in the corridor. "Yes I know. Tell her that she needs to halve the dose for Michael in room 2. Yes half. And Cassie, the appendix patient, she'll be ready to go home by the end of the day so can one of you please prep her? Thanks Brianna". My ears pricked at the sound of the doctor's Australian accent and I watched with interest as she finished speaking and turned around to face us, smiling as she shut the door behind her. "Sorry about that guys, it's just been a little bit crazy here today" she said with a soft laugh, reaching up to adjust her glasses and walking over to the hospital bed. She had dark caramel coloured hair that was pulled back into a neat braid and a pair of sleek, black retro glasses perched on her nose. I raised my eyebrows - I was not at all expecting a doctor that looked like this, especially after mum had said that we were seeing a specialist.

"I'm Dr Gianetta but you can call me Dr G" she said before bending down next to the bed and turning her attention to my sister, "And _you_ must be the little Serena that I've heard so much about! It's lovely to meet you" Dr G exclaimed happily, smiling at Serena as she sat shyly on the bed. She shook Serena's hand and stood up, smoothing down her jacket and turning around to smile at mum and I. She stepped forward to introduce herself and all of a sudden I felt my jaw drop open when my eyes finally got a better look at her face. I couldn't believe it, _no fucking way._ _It was her, Belle!_

"I'm Serena's mum Tina" Mum said, shaking Belle's hand and gesturing to me, "And this is my son Taron". I blinked rapidly with my mouth still hanging open, _she was a fucking doctor?_ Out of all the places that I thought I'd run into her again, the hospital was definitely not one of them. Belle turned to me and I stared at her - still not quite believing that I was seeing her again, and watched as her lips suddenly parted into a wide, gorgeous grin. "Taron!" she exclaimed with a happy smile, her voice full of disbelief, "Fancy seeing you again. Here, of all places!". Now it was my turn to smile at her, "I had no idea you were a doctor" I said as I scratched my stubbly cheek. Belle laughed adorably and shrugged her shoulders, "Guilty as charged". I shook my head incredulously - she was even more beautiful than I remembered. "It's great to see you again, love".

I couldn't seem to hide my smile as I looked at her - I couldn't believe that she was standing in front of me, especially after I had pretty much convinced myself that I would never see her again. Mum smiled at the two of us, "How do you two know each other?". I was so caught up in seeing Belle again that I'd almost completely forgotten about yesterday. I felt my heart - and my smile, drop almost instantly at the thought. I knew her because I'd found her lost child in the park. She had to be married, or at least have a boyfriend - how could a girl like her possibly be single? Belle grinned and turned to mum, "Well actually, Taron here found my nephew when he ran off on me at the park yesterday". The smile was back on my face in an instant. _Her nephew?_ "Saved me from getting my head chopped off actually, I would have been killed if I hadn't found Ollie" she added with a small laugh.

"Oliver is your nephew?" I asked quickly, trying my hardest to hide the hope in my voice. Belle tilted her head and smiled, "Well, not really, but I like to say that he is. He and Addie belong to my cousin Amy". I thought back to yesterday when I'd asked her how old her two kids were and she'd paused for a moment before answering. I felt like a light bulb had just gone off in my head - it all made complete sense now. "I thought he might have been your son" I said softly, watching out of the corner of my eye as my own mum stared at me. Belle's lips parted into a wide grin and she let out a small chuckle, "No no, definitely not mine" she said as she reached up to push a loose piece of hair behind her ear, "I'm just the cool aunty at the moment". Mum and I both laughed and I watched in awe as Belle looked back at me - I couldn't get over how gorgeous she was.

Belle looked down and shook her head a moment later - as if she were dismissing a thought, and glanced behind her to pull out a chair. "So Tina it's lovely to meet you, and Taron, it's lovely to see you again. Please take a seat" she said when she sat down, smiling gorgeously up at me and gesturing for mum and I to sit. As soon as I sat down in my chair, Serena moved from the hospital bed and climbed into my lap, leaning her small body against my chest. I smiled and dropped a kiss on her blonde head, wrapping my arms around her gently. Even though she was now four years old, I still saw Serena as my baby sister - whenever I looked at her I couldn't help but picture how small she was the first time I held her. Belle smiled affectionately at my sister before turning to face mum. "Now, I know you've come here expecting to see Dr Williams but she is actually on leave at the moment. She has however, passed on all of Serena's notes and scans to me" Belle said as she pulled out her iPad and scrolled through to what I assumed was Serena's file.

"So this here" Belle said as she turned her iPad around for all of us to see, "Is the contrast scan of Serena's bowel that the hospital in Wales sent to us". I frowned as I looked at the screen - it just looked like a mess of black and white blobs. Seeing my expression, Belle let out a small laugh. "To you I'm sure it just looks like a mess, but this over here" she said as she pointed at a cluster of white shapes at the left of the picture, "is Serena's intestines". She flipped to the next picture which looked like an x-ray, "It's a little clearer on this one, can you see the intestines now?" Belle continued as she pointed to a shadowy group of shapes that looked almost like intestines if I squinted hard enough. Mum glanced at me, "Can you see them love?". I shrugged my shoulders and tilted my head, trying to look at the picture from a different angle, "Yeah sorta I guess?". Belle laughed again and put the iPad back down on her lap, "So I've gone through all of Serena's tests and notes and I've also spoken with her last surgeon - the one that performed her hernia surgery" she said as she adjusted her glasses, "and after going through her scans and results, Dr Williams and I have diagnosed Serena with a digestive condition know as 'malrotation'".

\---

_Belle's POV:_

"That's all fine Serena, you can pull your top back down now" I said in a soft voice, smiling at Serena and pulling my pink stethoscope out of my ears. Her enormous green eyes were wide as she looked at me - her eyes, I noted with interest, that were the exact same gorgeous shade as her brother's. I sneaked a quick glance at Taron as I moved to sit back in my chair, my heart fluttering at the sight of him. He looked unbelievably gorgeous in his pale blue shirt - and even more so as he held his little sister lovingly.

"Sorry to ask again Dr G, but can you explain what malrotation is again?". I brushed a stray hair away from my face and smiled at Tina reassuringly, "Please don't be sorry, I'd be worried if you didn't ask me to explain it several times" I replied with a chuckle, crossing my legs and leaning back in my chair, trying my hardest to ignore the feeling of Taron's eyes on me. "So basically, Serena's intestines are in the wrong position. When babies are growing, their intestines begin as a short straight tube" I said demonstrating with my hands, "In the first months of pregnancy, the intestines start to grow longer and as they grow, they turn and move inside the belly. When they reach the right place, they attach to the back of the torso. Serena's didn't do this - they moved to the right position, but they never attached correctly. Because of this, they've twisted and that's why she's in so much pain".

"But how did they not see that when she had her hernia operation?" Taron asked, speaking up for the first time since I had diagnosed Serena. I still couldn't believe that he was sitting across from me at this very moment - I'd felt his eyes on me almost the entire time I'd been in the room with him and all I wanted to do was stop and stare at his gorgeous eyes and chiseled jawline. I shook my head gently and chewed on the inside of my cheek, willing myself to remain as professional as possible. I'd beaten myself up for not asking for Taron's number all day yesterday, and even more so after I'd watched him in Kingsman and figured out who he actually was. Now here he was, looking devastatingly handsome and sitting opposite me in one of my patient consultations - _what were the chances?_ I let out a sigh and shrugged my shoulders, meeting his gaze and trying my hardest not to be sucked into his beautiful eyes, "I'm sorry I really can't say. It is a fairly small twist - and we have caught it very early. If malrotations are left untreated the intestines can twist to the point where blood supply is disrupted and then we have what's called 'volvulus' - that's a life threatening condition where segments of the intestines need to be removed. But because we've caught it so early in this case, there is no chance of that happening" I answered reassuringly, looking back at Taron and then at Serena. She was sitting silently on his lap and leaning back against his chest, her fingers looking tiny against his as she held onto his hands.

"I will say though, that the majority of malrotation cases occur in much younger children - it is quite rare to see them in children older than one. That may be a reason why they surgeons in Wales didn't see it. It could have even been that it happened after she had her surgery. It really is hard to say". Tina nodded and looked over at her daughter, reaching out to stroke her soft blonde hair, "So she needs another surgery to fix this?". I nodded solemnly, "Unfortunately yes. It is the only way to fix it. The surgery itself won't take long though - an hour at most. They will make a small incision near Serena's bellybutton and one a few inches lower near her hip. They'll check for any unhealthy sections of intestine and then untwist and attach them correctly. It's all quite a routine procedure". "And how soon would we be able to have it?" Tina asked, "Well that all depends on Miss Serena here" I replied, smiling at the little girl and then looking back at Tina, "If she hasn't eaten anything recently, we could have her in theater in the next few hours".

"She had a few mouthfuls of porridge before we left this morning but that's about it. She hasn't had much of an appetite since her last surgery". I smiled, "Yes that's quite normal with malrotation. If that's all she's eaten for the day, we can start prepping her for theater now if you like". "Mammy" Serena said quietly, speaking up for the first time since I'd seen her and tugging on the arm of her mother's sweater, "I need to go toilet". I smiled again and looked at Tina, "The bathroom is just to the left when you walk out of the door" I said gesturing with my hands. I watched as Serena climbed off her brother's lap and walked over to her mother, reaching out for her hand and following her to the door. I turned back to Taron and felt my insides melt when he smiled at me, fighting an unbelievable urge to swoon out loud as we sat across from each other. Taron leaned back in his chair, his bright green eyes feeling like they could see right through me and flashed me a gorgeous, lazy grin that made my heart skip. "It really is great to see you again, love".

\---

_Taron's POV:_

"So I'll be back before Serena goes into surgery to answer any other questions you have and to run through it all with you. I have to go see a few other patients now but I promise I'll be back, okay Serena?" Belle said as she bent down next to the hospital bed, smiling at my sister and reaching out to squeeze her hand. Serena's mouth parted into a wide smile - the first real smile that I'd seen on her face since I'd first walked into the hospital today, and waved at Belle as she moved towards the door. I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from Belle - she was just as gorgeous now as she had been yesterday in the park, and I realized that there was something I desperately wanted to ask her before she left. Last night I'd promised myself that if I ever saw Belle again I'd ask her for her number - and now, by some miracle, I was standing in the same room as her. There was not a chance that I'd let her leave without first getting her number.

"Hey Belle!" I shouted as I suddenly stood up from my chair, chasing her out into the hallway and catching her before she made her way to her next patient, "Can I talk to you for a minute?". She turned around and smiled, walking back towards me and leaning her hip against the wall of the corridor, "What's up Taron?". I shuffled my feet and it suddenly dawned on me that I was nervous - it had been a while since I'd asked a girl for her number, especially one as gorgeous as Belle. She brushed a piece of loose hair away from her face and tilted her head as she waited for me to speak, her green eyes sparkling as she looked at me.

                                                      

"I--I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me some time next week?" I asked with a small smile, scratching my cheek and glancing at a nurse in the far corridor, "I'd say let's do this weekend but I won't actually be in town. I--I've got a film thing to go to and I can't really get out of it and I--". _Stop rambling Taron!_   My voice trailed off and I mentally scolded myself, mashing my lips together to stop myself from saying anything else. I glanced down at my feet and back up at Belle, her face looking like she was trying to think of what to say.For a long, terrifying moment I thought that she was going to turn me down - tell me that she had a boyfriend or that she was married. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when her lips parted into a wide smile a moment later, my heart racing in my chest. "I won't be around this weekend either actually, I've got a doctor's conference to go to" Belle said as she readjusted her glasses, the smile still on her face, "But I'd love to go to dinner sometime next week". I felt my chest deflate with relief and a grin grow on my face, fighting the urge to yell out and punch the air above me, _she said yes!_

"I--I don't actually have my phone on me right now but I can give you my number if you like?" Belle asked, patting her pockets and shrugging her shoulders adorably, "I'm sorry I haven't really done this in a long time" she admitted with a gentle laugh. I scoffed as I pulled out my phone, loving the way her accent sounded in my ears, "Oh I find that very hard to believe, a girl as beautiful as you? Come on". Belle grinned and looked down at the floor, "Taron you're making me blush". I grinned cheekily and shrugged, "I'm just being honest love". She laughed and read out her number and I typed it into my phone, pressing the call button and showing her the screen, "There, now you've got my number too".

Belle smiled and glanced over her shoulder, "Well, as much as I'd love to stay and talk to you for the rest of the afternoon - and believe me I'd really love to, I've gotta get going". I nodded as I leaned against the wall of the corridor, unable to tear my eyes away from her face. "No, no it's fine. I'm the one bothering you at work remember?". Belle laughed and flashed me another gorgeous grin that made the breath catch in my throat, "Well I guess I'll see you soon then". I nodded, unable to stop the stupid grin that seemed to be permanently on my face, "You definitely will". We flashed each other one last smile before Belle turned and walked down the hospital hallway, an ecstatic, excited feeling suddenly spreading throughout my chest. Not only had I managed to see Belle again, but I'd also gotten her number _and_ had a date with her planned. I ran my fingers through my hair, struggling to remember the last time I'd felt this way about a date - I was already looking forward to it even though it was still more than a week away.

Belle reached the end of the corridor and turned to look over her shoulder at me, waving and flashing me one last beautiful smile. I waved back at her and watched as she rounded the corner, unable to wipe the smile from my face even as she disappeared out of sight. I closed my eyes and smiled to myself, still not quite believing my luck - I had a date with an unbelievably gorgeous girl, and a doctor at that. I felt like I was eight years old again and had just been given a gold star on my homework. I grinned stupidly - I couldn't wait for next week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Thanks for all your kudos, you guys are amazing!  
> Sorry that its taken me so long to update, I've been away in Thailand for a month over Christmas!  
> Now that I'm back and settled in at home I promise I'll be updating more.  
> Looking forward to hearing all your comments or any ideas you'd like to see written in my story!  
> Love B x


	4. Chapter 4

__

  _Belle's POV:_

I flopped down onto my desk chair and let out a heavy, exhausted sigh, praying that my day would hurry up and end. Today had been absolutely,  _insane_. I felt like I hadn't stopped moving from the moment I'd walked into work at 5am this morning - and I still had a mountain of paperwork to start and at least six patients to see before I was done for the day. I frowned and squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to admit to myself that this was going to be another twelve hour day. I groaned, would they really notice if I went home early? I let out another sigh and forced myself to sit up, pulling my lunch from my bag and waking up my laptop. I knew feeling sorry for myself would get me nowhere - I chose this career and I knew how hard and tiring it was going to be. There was no use complaining about it, I just had to push through. I gave myself a mental pep talk, telling myself that I only had to get through the rest of the day and then that was it for three whole days. I'd be in sunny LA before I knew it where the only job I had to do was to look pretty and introduce the hospital. I had to admit that I was actually looking forward to the little trip - even if Rox wasn't going to be there with me.

As if she could tell that I was thinking about her, I heard a voice outside my office and looked up to find Rox's face poking around the door. "Well don't you look shitty" she said with a cheesy grin, letting herself in and taking a seat on one of the chairs opposite my desk. I rolled my eyes and unwrapped my chicken salad sandwich, "And hello to you too Roxanne" I replied with a smirk. Rox hated anyone calling her by her full name - the only person that could actually get away with it was her grandmother back in Wales. She stabbed a crouton with her fork and pulled a face at me, "Do not, call me that". I laughed and stuck my tongue out at her, loving that I knew exactly how to push her buttons. "Big day?" I asked before taking a bite of my sandwich, looking up at her as she nodded and picked through her salad, "I just feel like I haven't stopped today. I'm actually counting the minutes until I finish". I chuckled and took another bite of my lunch, knowing exactly how she felt.

Every so often Rox and my lunch schedules would match up and instead of spending it in the staff room like every one else, we'd spend the half hour holed up in my office eating together and talking about our day so far. "So have you seen him today?" Rox asked covering her mouth, her long strawberry blonde ponytail swishing as she tilted her head to look at me. The smile was on my face in an instant at the mention of Taron - I had to pinch myself to make sure that it hadn't all been a dream. After my shift yesterday I'd gotten home and immediately called the girls to share the good news - I, Belle Gianetta had gotten Taron Egerton's number! 

I told them all about his little sister Serena and how she'd come to the hospital all the way from Wales, I told them about the look of relief on Taron's face after I told him that Oliver was my nephew and not my son, and I told them how he'd followed me out into the hallway and proceeded to ask if I'd like to go to dinner with him. They'd all squealed like teenagers and for a moment I felt like I was fifteen years old again, telling my girlfriends all about my latest crush in high school.

I looked at Rox and shook my head, "No and he wasn't there yesterday when I went to see his sister before the surgery either - I guess he had to leave or something". I shrugged my shoulders, "When I went in this morning to see how Serena went in surgery last night, the poor thing woke up and asked for her brother straight away. Tina - their mum, said that he was out doing interviews all day". Rox gave me a questioning look and I shrugged again, "For his new movie I guess? I'm not really sure". Rox grinned, "Well I'm sure you'll find out soon enough" she retorted with a wink. I shook my head and she chuckled - although I didn't want to admit it, I couldn't deny that I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a chance to see Taron today. He'd been on my mind since the moment I'd left him in the hallway yesterday and I'd even found myself googling his name when I'd finally gotten to bed last night. It was like he got more handsome with each new photo I saw and in the end I fell asleep dreaming of bright green eyes and British accents. I'd even woken up a little earlier this morning just to make myself look at least half decent for work today in the hope that I'd see him again.

  
Rox opened her mouth to say something but was instead interrupted by the ringing of my mobile phone. I reached down and fished for my phone in my bag, frowning when I finally found it and looked at the screen. "Who is it?" Rox asked, spearing a cucumber and lifting it to her lips. I raised my eyebrows and looked from the phone to Rox and back again, "It's Tash" I said, surprised, sliding my finger across the screen and pressing the speaker button. "Hey T, what's up babe? You're on speaker with me and Rox.". Tash's voice came through the phone in what could only be described as a squeal and Rox and I immediately traded confused, yet amused looks. This was typical Tash behaviour.

"Tash babe, what happened?" Rox asked with raised eyebrows, putting her salad on my desk and leaning forward towards my mobile. "Girls!" Tash yelled suddenly, excitement clearly evident in her voice, "I fucking got it! I got the promotion!". Rox and I instantly broke out into cheers, shouting congratulations and praise to our best friend. I was so ridiculously happy and proud of her, knowing just how hard she'd worked for this and just how badly she wanted it. I grinned at Rox and smiled lovingly down at my phone - it had all paid off for Tash in the end. "Thanks girls, I'm over the moon! And so fucking relieved!" I laughed and swore I could hear Tash grinning on the other end of the phone, picturing her dancing around her office in excitement. "Anyway clear your schedules for tonight ladies, we're going out to celebrate!".

\---

"Knock knock!". "Rhi babe!" Tash shouted, grinning from ear to ear as she held her almost empty glass of champagne, "You're here!". Rhi closed the door behind her with her foot and shuffled through the hallway, stopping to give her sister a kiss hello as she curled her hair in the front bathroom of my apartment. "I know I'm late I'm sorry guys" Rhi said, dumping her bags in my living room and bending down when Hudson ambled over to greet her, "I had a last minute emergency walk in. A chihuahua with an ear infection". "We thought you'd never get here" I said with a grin, leaning forward to give Rhi a kiss and handing her a freshly-poured glass of champagne, "Here, you look like you really need this". I stifled a laugh when she flashed me a look that screamed 'oh you have no fucking idea', and reached up to smooth my purposely-made-messy pony tail as Rhi congratulated Tash on her big news.

Rhi took a long sip of her champagne and walked over to her bag, pulling several outfits out and turning to face Tash and I. "Which one do you think, this or this one?" she asked, holding up a wine coloured long sleeve body con dress and a flirty looking white skater dress. "The red one!" Tash and I answered at the same time, turning to each other and shouting jinx! a split second later, "That dress is gorgeous, I'll definitely be borrowing that!" Tash shouted after Rhi as she made her way upstairs to change. Rhi laughed and stopped when she reached the top of the stairs, leaning over the lofted glass railing to look down at me, "B do you reckon you could do my hair? You know like you did that time we had a double date?". Tash snickered at the mention of mine and Rhi's famous date and I elbowed her in the ribs to shut her up, ignoring her teasing and nodding at Rhi. "Of course babe, I'll set up the curler for you down here".

"Ow B! There's no need to get violent!" Tash said with a scowl as she rubbed her side, "You know I'm only shit stirring". I took a sip of my champagne and pulled a face at her, "Yes I know" I retorted, narrowing my eyes at her, "And I really wish you wouldn't". I shook my head as the memory of the double date replayed in my mind - Rhi had been asked out by a guy that came in to her work with his border collie. His name was Matt and he was ridiculously cute, but he had insisted on bringing his housemate David along on the date with him. At first glance David was quite good looking and I'd been pleasantly surprised when Rhi had dragged me into the restaurant - that is, until he opened his mouth. I'd quickly discovered that behind the good looks was an over confident, egotistical guy that turned his every sentence into a pick up line - the kind of guy that knew he was attractive and of course believed he could get any girl he wanted. While Rhi and Matt had been in their own little world, I'd been forced to spend the night listening to David talk about how great he thought he was. I was practically running out of the restaurant at the end of the night, and had to stop myself from laughing out loud when he'd gestured to me to get me into the cab with him. Even now, several months later, I still couldn't believe he  _actually_  thought I'd go home with him.

My stomach flipped a moment later when I suddenly remembered the date I had planned next week - a date with none other, than the  _gorgeous_ Mr Egerton. I still couldn't believe he'd asked me to dinner with him, the memory from the hospital instantly replaying in my head like a movie scene. My insides fluttered at the thought of Taron and his piercing green eyes and I grinned stupidly realising just how much I was looking forward to seeing him next week.  _If only it was sooner!_ I pulled my phone out of my bag to check for any messages and was mildly disappointed when I discovered no new texts - namely, no new texts from Taron. I frowned and shook my head, throwing my phone back into my bag - I knew that I was being completely ridiculous, after all it had only been one day. I knew he'd call when the time was right.

I felt myself smile at the thought just as Rox walked out of the bathroom, flicking her freshly styled curls and smoothing down her long sleeved, lacy play-suit. "So, we ready to go?" she asked looking completely gorgeous in the short, black outfit, the low V neckline showing off just the right amount of cleavage. Forgetting about Taron for a moment I let out a whistle of approval and laughed when she twirled around on the spot, pouting her painted lips cheekily and giving Tash and I the full view. "Almost! Just waiting for your sister" I said as I drained the last of my champagne, glancing over at my reflection in the enormous, dark windows that lined the back wall of my apartment.

Despite it taking almost five minutes, I'd managed to pour myself into my sexiest pair of pants - black, leather-look jeans that I'd bought on impulse on my very first trip to Oxford Street. I'd fallen in love with them from the moment I'd tried them on, loving the way the skin tight material hugged every inch of my butt and legs. Tonight I'd paired them with my favourite stiletto heels and a sheer black cami, my black bra subtly visible through the delicate, silky material. My hair was pulled back into a long, sleek ponytail and my eyes were lined with sleek wings of liner, my lips painted a deep, vivid red. I looked sexy, I felt sexy, and I was more than ready for a night on the town with my girls.

Rhi came downstairs moments later looking nothing short of stunning in her fitted, wine coloured dress, and before long I was putting the finishing touches on her long dark locks. Tash let out a whoop of joy and I looked over my shoulder and laughed when I saw her swinging her hips and dancing to the beat of the Justin Timberlake song that she was now blasting from my living room stereo. With her bright, sun kissed blonde hair and flawlessly tanned skin, not to mention her long toned legs in the tight, white shorts she was wearing tonight, she looked every bit like the quintessential party girl - gorgeous, sexy and utterly carefree. "Can you two hurry up? I wanna go dancing!" Tash shouted before letting out another whoop and dragging Rox up to dance with her.

"Yeah yeah we're coming!" I shouted back, switching off the curler and running my fingers through Rhi's hair to tousle it up, "All done babe". "You're the best B! I love it" Rhi said as she admired her bouncy waves, smiling at me through the mirror and turning to give me a quick thank you hug. "Anytime sweetheart" I replied with a wink, double checking my own hair before walking out into the lounge room. "Are you two ready?" Rhi asked, shouting at Tash and Rox over the music as they took snapchat videos of the two of them dancing along to the song. "I was born ready baby!" Tash quipped back, tossing her hair over her shoulder and giving us her best pout.

 

I shook my head and chuckled, already knowing that it was going to be a big night."Come here girls" Rox said gesturing excitedly to her sister and I, an enormous smile plastered across her face as she held the almost empty champagne bottle in one hand and her phone in the other, "Photo time!". The four of us crowded together with our arms around each other, huge, happy smiles on our faces as we all looked up into Rox's phone. I could feel the excitement bubbling up inside me and I wasn't sure if it was the music, the three glasses of champagne or the fact that I was finally going out for the first time in forever that was making me feel this way. Whatever it was, I was more than sure that I was ready for a night out on the town with my girls.

\---

"Okay seriously, whose idea was it to come here?" Rox asked, shouting over the thumping music and frowning as a group of girls pushed passed her, "This is ridiculous". I grabbed onto Rhi for support as I felt myself get pushed forward in the crowd, shaking my head and feeling my buzz - and my good mood for that matter, starting to fade. The four of us were waiting to be served at the crowded bar and despite having waited for almost fifteen minutes now, we were still no closer to getting served. "I hear you Rox. I think I'm actually sobering up. I thought the whole idea of tonight was to get  _drunk_?" Rhi shouted back, brushing her hair away from her face and looking around the crowded club.

The bass from the dance music thumped throughout the room and I let out an impatient sigh wondering why the hell it was taking so long to get a drink. I looked over my shoulder and scanned the people on the dance floor, the crowd looking like they were almost moving as one to the heavy beat of the r&b song. I shook my head and frowned, there was not a chance that I'd be stepping onto the dance floor with music like this. What ever happened to the classics that you could actually sing and dance to? 

"Oh my god, what do you have to do to get served around here?". I turned back to the girls to find Tash yelling over the bar, waving her arms at one of the bartenders in an attempt to get his attention, "Anyone?". She threw her arms up in frustration and turned around to look at the three of us, shooting daggers at a guy that was trying to push between her and Rhi. "Great club my ass! What the hell was Renee thinking?" Tash said, shaking her head and glancing over the bar again, "This is fucking unbelievable". Renee was one of Tash's work friends - she'd told Tash all about the amazing night she'd had at this new club 'Eden' and so naturally, Tash couldn't wait to go there herself. Unlike Renee, our night was starting to feel like the furthest thing from amazing.

"T babe, c'mon. Why don't we just go somewhere else?" Rox finally suggested, "I can't deal with all this waiting. At this rate we're going to spend half our night waiting in line for drinks. That is, if we ever get any to begin with!". I nodded, agreeing with her and glanced around at the thumping crowd, "I'm with Rox on this one, T. This is a joke" I replied with a frustrated sigh, frowning when I got pushed in the crowd for what felt like the tenth time tonight.  _I needed a drink ASAP._  "And does anyone else feel like one of the oldest people in the room? I mean everyone here looks like they're 18 years old" I added, gesturing with my head to a group of girls on the dance floor - their too-thick makeup and too-short skirts the signature look for first time night-clubbers. We all turned to look at the group of teenagers and for a moment I found myself wondering if we had been like that when we first started going out. Rox let out a throaty laugh and I grinned instantly knowing that she was just thinking the exact same thing as me, "Oh yeah, it's  _definitely_  time to go".

Tash frowned and turned back to us, "Are you sure guys? I'm sorry I really thought this place was gonna be awesome" she said looking at each of us in turn, "Where will we go though?". I giggled as I saw her jaw clench suddenly - the telltale sign that Tash was angry, and watched as she paused to forcefully shove herself back into someone that had just pushed her in the crowd. I shook my head and laughed, looking around at my three friends with a smile, "Anywhere has got to be better than here". Tash sighed, defeated, and stole one last frustrated glance over at the bar. "Alright, come on" she said as she grabbed my hand and started back towards the door, "Let's get out of here".

The four of us tumbled out onto the street much to the annoyance of the club bouncer, shrugging on our coats to shield ourselves from the cold London air. I shivered and ran my hands up and down my arms, realising that it was moments like this that I seriously missed living in Australia - I couldn't even remember what it was like to go out without having to take a coat with me. Rox stepped out onto the road and whistled, waving her arm in the air as she tried to flag down a taxi. I could see her breath in the freezing air and from where I was standing several feet away it looked almost as if she was smoking. "Where are we gonna go girls?" Tash asked, rubbing her hands together and stepping closer to me in an attempt to warm herself up. I shook my head and felt my ponytail swish against my neck, pulling Rhi against my other side so that I was sandwiched between the two of them, "I don't care. As long as its warm and I can get a drink straight away. I swear I'm going to get like three shots as soon as we get there, that will warm me up".

Tash laughed and leaned into me further, her naked legs shaking underneath her ankle length, cashmere coat, "Amen to that B". I let out a giggle just as a taxi pulled up to the curb, Rox opening the back door and gesturing for us all to pile in. "So where to ladies? Where can I take you?" the driver asked once we were all packed into the car, the four of us glancing at one another and each without an answer. After a brief moment of silence I shrugged my shoulders and looked over at the driver, deciding that I didn't really care where we went - I just wanted a strong drink and dance floor. "Take us somewhere with good drinks and great music". 

\---

_Taron's POV:_

"Fuck me it's cold out there lads" Blake said when he and Paddy returned to the table from their cigarette break, shrugging off their jackets and sitting back down at the table with Jack and I. I smirked and swallowed the last of my beer, stretching out my arms and signalling over to Smithy - the owner of the pub, for another round. Not surprisingly, the boys and I hadn't been able to decide where to go for our night out and so naturally had ended up at The Prince, our local bar. Jack had been right about what he'd said the other night though - despite it being a Thursday night the pub seemed to be packed full of people, the room abuzz with animated conversation and laughter from the crowded tables around the venue. A Red Hot Chilli Peppers song was playing from the speakers in the ceiling, the band at the front of the room having taken a half hour intermission from their live music.

"Alright boys whose gonna make the first move and go and talk to those birds over there?" Jack asked looking at the three of us in turn and then nodding towards to the group of girls on the far side of the room. They'd come in about half an hour ago and the boys had clocked them as soon as they'd walked through the door, already taking dibs on which one each of them wanted. I shook my head and laughed, Paddy turning to me and socking me in the arm a moment later. "Taron you go chat to 'em. This night was supposed to be about gettin' you a girl remember!". Blake grinned and lifted his almost empty glass to me in a 'cheers' gesture, "Yeah and you can warm em' up for us boys too". I laughed, "I'm sure you would all have absolutely no trouble talking to those girls without me" I said just as Sammy, one of the bartenders, appeared at the table with our next round of drinks.

"And what kind of trouble are you boys up to tonight huh?" she asked as she put down the four pints of beer, putting her hand on her hip and raising her eyebrow at the four of us. "We're trying to convince Taron to go and talk to those girls over there. But he's being a pussy" Jack said as he picked up his glass and gestured over to the girls at the booth in the corner, "Maybe you needa give him some pointers, hey Sammy?". Samantha McKinley was one of the regular bartenders working at The Prince - she had wide set blue eyes and shiny black hair and was quite gorgeous, even more so with her bubbly personality. We'd gotten to know her well since she'd started working at The Prince almost three years ago, the five of us quickly becoming fast friends. The first time we'd met her a few years ago Blake had almost instantly tried - and failed, to get her number. Never one to give up easily though, he persisted and almost a year later Sammy finally gave in and agreed to go out on a date with him. To this day I still wasn't sure what exactly had happened on their date as when I'd asked them both about it, they'd simply replied with; 'it's better we just stay friends' - and refused to offer any additional information past that. Paddy and I had since decided that they  _must_  have slept together and something had gone very wrong - though what might have happened we had no idea. Even though they both continued to deny it whenever we asked or brought it up, Paddy and I still had our sneaking suspicions. 

Sammy shook her head and let out a throaty laugh, "Oh I'm sure Taron is perfectly capable. Besides, if you boys want to talk to those girls so badly, maybe it's  _you three_  that should stop being the pussy's 'ey?". I burst into laughter and lifted my hand up to Sammy for a high five, laughing at the collective deadpan faces that the guys were now giving her. She slapped her hand against mine and shrugged innocently, "Just being honest boys". Sammy looked down at me and winked and I grinned back at her, thanking her for backing me up against the guys. "Anyway, let me know when you boys are ready for your next one and I'll bring another round". "Will do Sammy, thanks love" Paddy said as we all waved goodbye to her, lifting our glasses and clinking them together for the third time tonight. I pulled my phone out of my pocket as Blake started to tell us about something that happened at his work today, unlocking it and wondering if it was too late in the night to text Belle. It had been a whole day since she'd given me her number at the hospital and while I didn't want to message her straight away and seem too eager, I also didn't want her to think that I wasn't interested. I'd been putting it off all day and had found myself wondering what she was doing, what she was thinking about and more importantly, whether or not she was thinking about me. My thumbs hovered over the blank message screen as I thought about what to say, and before I could think too deeply about it I typed out a quick message. 

' _Hey love, was just thinking about you. Hope you're not working too hard tonight. T x'_

                                                                                

I smirked, well,  _that_  was a lie _._ I hadn't been able to  _stop_  thinking about her since she'd left me in the hospital hallway. Blake suddenly let out a low whistle and I tore my eyes away from my phone to find him almost knocking over his pint glass as he tapped Jack excitedly on the shoulder. "Boys, check out the girls that just walked in!". All four of us instinctively turned to look in the direction of the door, our eyes falling on four gorgeous girls all laughing as they walked into the crowded pub together. In an instant it seemed as if almost every male eye in the room was focused on the girls, the four of them immediately making a bee-line for the bar along the side of the room. I watched as one of the girls - a tall, bright blonde girl, shrugged off her camel coloured Winter coat to reveal a pair of long tanned legs, Blake all of a sudden sounding like he was about to go into cardiac arrest beside me. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and grinned at her friend - a slender girl in a deep red dress with long dark hair, before linking arms with her and bringing her to the bar next to the other two girls.

"Blondie's mine lads. Don't even bother". I turned back to the table to find Blake moving out of his chair, his eyes still glued to the girls as he ran his fingers through his shaggy, black hair. "C'mon mate what are you doing" I said as I grabbed his arm to stop him, pulling him back to his chair and sitting him down, "They literally  _just_  walked in. If you're gonna go chat to them at least give 'em a little bit of time first". Jack snickered, "Blake what makes you think you even have a chance with her bro?" he teased, punching Blake in the arm and grinning mockingly, "She probably wont even talk to you, she'll probably blow you off straight away". "Well we'll see about that" Blake challenged, punching Jack back and making Paddy and I exchange amused glances. We both shook our heads - those two were always at each other. I chuckled and glanced back over my shoulder to see the blonde, brunette and a third girl with flowing red hair now sitting at an empty table near the front of the room, completely unfazed by the whistles and stares from the gawking men around them - the boys and I included. 

Wondering where the fourth girl had gotten to, I looked around the room and finally spotted her at the bar, her back to us as she waited to be served. I noted with interest several men standing around the pub stealing long glances at the girl, looking her up and down as she stood waiting in front of the bar. I watched as one of the bartenders approached her and began to take the girl's order, a grin appearing on his face as he laughed at something she must have said to him. He nodded at her before walking away and I watched as the girl reached up to slip off her coat, suddenly eliciting several whistles from the men around her as she revealed smooth tanned shoulders and skin tight leather-look pants. I sucked in my breath sharply - even sitting on the other side of the room I couldn't help but stare at the girls unbelievable figure, watching as she dug in her coat pocket to pull out what I presumed was her purse and phone. She glanced down at her phone and I watched with interest as she did a quick double take, bringing the screen closer to her face as if she was making sure that she had read something correctly. 

"Can you see the red head? And the one at the bar too? Fuck me lads, we definitely came here on the right night. Four of them, four of us". I smirked at Jack's comment behind me with my eyes still glued to the girl at the bar, my head tilted curiously as I watched her type something on her phone. She'd now turned to the side and was leaning her hip and elbow against the bar as she typed, a smile more than evident on her face despite her being on the other side of the room. "So what do ya think Taron, you picked one yet?" Blake said, nudging me and forcing me to turn back to the boys, "Because we're such good mates and all, we'll even let you have your pick". I chuckled and shook my head at the three of them, my phone suddenly beeping on the table in front of me, "Oh yeah? You sure you don't just want me to go and talk to those girls first so none of you have to make the first move?". "Dunno what you're talkin' about bro, like Blake said, we're just being good mates yeah?" Jack replied with a grin, glancing at the other two and making me shake my head again. "Yeah yeah boys, I'm sure that's  _exactly_  the case. Bunch of pussy's you all are" I replied with a laugh, downing the last of my beer and picking up my phone.

A grin was on my face the instant I saw Belle's name on my phone screen, Paddy catching on to my smile and immediately leaning over to see. "The doctor finally message you did she mate?". When we'd gotten to the pub tonight I'd told the boys how I'd ended up seeing Belle again in Seri's consultation. Like me, they'd been unable to believe it either - that I'd somehow managed to run into her again, at the hospital of all places. "I sent her one earlier and she's just replied" I answered as I unlocked my phone, grinning at Paddy when he raised his glass to me in approval. "What'd she say?" Jack asked as he picked up his own pint glass and took a sip, looking at me and then back over at the girls.

_'Well isn't that a coincidence. Here I am standing at the bar & waiting for a drink on a night out with my girlfriends, when all of a sudden I get a message from a certain boy that I may or may not have just been thinking about...'_

                                                                                    

I didn't think the smile on my face could have gotten any bigger until I finished reading her message. I suddenly felt like I was sixteen years old, back in high school with a crush.  _She was out?_  I felt my heart race at the thought of seeing her again - maybe I'd be able to convince the boys to go wherever she was? "So? What happened mate?" Paddy asked, interrupting my thoughts, "What did she say?". I ran my fingers through my hair and grinned at him, "She said she's out with her friends having a few drinks somewhere". Jack raised an eyebrow, "Wow I didn't think doctors got nights off" he said as he took a swig of his beer, putting down his glass and shaking his head at Blake who was still eyeing off the girls. I shrugged my shoulders, the excited grin still plastered across my face, "Neither did I". Paddy nudged me, "Ask her where she is! Maybe you can go and see her!". I nodded and turned back to my phone, my brain suddenly racing with the possible bars and clubs that she could be at.

_'Oh really? That seems like more than just a coincidence to me love..._

_I'm actually out with the guys at the moment having a couple of drinks too. Where abouts are you girls?'_

I gripped my phone in my hand and leaned back in the booth, my stomach flipping with excitement. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt like this about a girl - especially one that I'd only spoken to for a grand total of thirty minutes. I stretched my arms out over my head and glanced back over my shoulder, my eyes landing on the same girl still standing and waiting at the bar. She was still standing side on with her hip against the bar, the smile still evident on her face as she looked down and typed on her phone. My own phone suddenly beeped again and I glanced down at it in my hand, sliding my finger across the screen to bring up Belle's message.

_'Great minds must think alike then!_ _I've never been here before but our cab driver said it had good drinks and good music. I think its called The Prince?'_

My stomach instantly did a triple back flip and suddenly it was like a light bulb had just exploded in my brain. I blinked rapidly as I re-read the words on my phone, my mind unable to work out whether or not I was making it all up. I couldn't believe it,  _no fucking way._  I whipped my head back towards the bar and my eyes widened when they finally landed on her - _it couldn't be, could it?_  It was the same caramel coloured hair, the same tanned, olive skin and the same perfect, curvy figure. The more I looked at her the more I started to believe the thought that was in my head -  _could it be?_  I suddenly felt like my vision was in slow motion as I watched her put down her phone, looking back over her shoulder and towards her friends at the front of the room. In that moment I caught a full glimpse of the same wide, beautiful smile that I'd seen in the park only a few days ago, my breath instantly catching in my throat. It was like the last piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place -  _it was her_. All of a sudden my legs were moving before I could stop them, my mind not even registering the boys calling out to me as I stood up and made my way towards the bar, towards the girl I'd been unable to get out of my mind for the past 3 days.


	5. Chapter 5

                                                          

 _Belle's POV:_

 

 

 

"Which account did you want that one on love?" the bartender asked as I handed him my credit card, running his fingers through his shaggy brown hair and smiling across at me. I shook my head and returned his smile, putting my open purse down on the bar, "You can just tap it, that's fine". He nodded as he walked away and I looked up at my reflection in the mirror at the back of the bar, the wide happy smile I had feeling like it was plastered to my face. I glanced down at my phone in my hand and fought the urge to hug myself, unable to hide my excitement over Taron.  _He'd finally messaged me!_ The rational part of me kept shaking her head and reminding me that it was just a few texts - the sixteen year old school girl part of me though was throwing her arms up with glee.  _Taron Egerton had messaged me!_

I smiled and shook my head to regain my composure - the twenty-seven year old rational side of me winning, and glanced over my shoulder at the girls as they sat at a table at the front of the room. I smirked to myself when I noticed two guys practically drooling as they watched Tash talk animatedly at the table, the two of them staring at her like they'd never seen a woman before. I shook my head - this was something that happened almost every time I went out with Tash, even if it was just out for coffee. It was like they just couldn't help but stare. I chuckled,  _just like flies to honey._

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine" a deep voice suddenly said behind me, startling me and shaking my from my thoughts. I raised an eyebrow,  _l_ _ike I haven't heard that one before_ I thought with a silent laugh, my mind instantly racing with retorts for the cheesy pickup line. I smirked as I turned to face the person in question, "Well that's an original one, did you come up with it all by your--" I replied, my voice suddenly trailing off when my eyes finally landed on the source of the voice. I took in the chiseled jawline covered by a soft layer of stubble, the bright green eyes and the effortlessly gorgeous smile, my heart instantly fluttering in my chest. I couldn't believe it,  _it was him!_  "Taron!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide with surprise,"What are you doing here?" I asked, unable to wipe the grin from my face. "Hello love" he said stepping forward to kiss my cheek, his hand traveling to my waist to pull me towards him, "I could ask you the same thing now couldn't I?". 

I fought the urge to swoon out loud, my legs threatening to turn to jelly at the sound of his velvety voice.  _What was he doing here?_  I breathed in deeply as his hand slipped from my waist, my mind suddenly acutely aware of how much smaller the gap between our bodies was.  _Oh god._ He stepped back in front of me and the smell of his aftershave suddenly permeated my nose, the sweet, musky fragrance making my heart beat even faster than it already was. I blinked rapidly, struggling to register an expression other than surprise,  _had he come here after I'd texted him where I was?_ Taron shook his head and laughed having noticed the look on my face, leaning his side against the bar and smiling at me. I noticed for the first time that he had dimples on either side of his cheeks.

"Before you think I'm some kind of creep, I feel I should explain to you why I'm here". I raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Please, tell me". Taron grinned, "Well see, The Prince here, is me and the boy's local. We've been coming here for years now" he explained, reaching up to run his fingers through his short brown hair, "We'd all planned to go out tonight since I won't be around for the weekend and after trying - and failing I should add, to come up with somewhere to go, we ended up here". I nodded, my mind trying to process this insane co-incidence. I mean, what were the chances that Taron and I would end up at the same pub at the same time? That had to be a sign right? First the hospital and now this?

"So you can imagine my surprise when I'm sitting there with the boys - mind you it was hard not to notice you and your friends walking in with all the whistles you got" Taron continued, flashing me a weak-at-the-knees grin, "Only to soon figure out that one of those gorgeous girls that had walked in earlier, was in fact, the very same gorgeous girl that I was texting at that same moment". Moments ago I'd felt like my heart was skipping beats from just looking at Taron. Now I was certain it was going to explode right out of my chest. Taron chuckled, "The very same gorgeous girl actually, that I keep somehow managing to run into".

                                                       

I felt a stupidly-happy grin start to grow on my face as I looked down at the ground and then back up at Taron, his bright green eyes watching me intently. I cleared my throat, "So, what you're saying is, the fact that you and I keep running into each other in all of these random places, is just some extremely huge co-incidence?" I asked with one raised eyebrow, leaning against the bar and tilting my head as I looked at him. "That's exactly what I'm saying love" Taron replied, flashing me a half smile that made my insides feel like melted chocolate. I chewed on my lip and fought the urge to smile like an idiot - he'd appeared out of nowhere with a line from Casablanca and an unbelievably handsome grin. For a moment I couldn't help but feel like I was a character in a movie. 

"Here's your card back love" the bartender said as he suddenly returned, holding out my card and interrupting my thoughts about the man standing only inches away from me. "Thank you" I replied with a smile, taking back my card and shoving it into my purse. Taron let out a laugh and I looked up to find him looking over my shoulder, a grin on his face and one of his eyebrows raised. "I think you might have some explaining to do love". I frowned, not understanding, and looked over my shoulder following Taron's gaze until my eyes landed on the girls at the table. The three of them were staring at Taron and I, each of them with confused, questioning expressions on their faces. I laughed and shook my head, turning back to Taron, "I think you may be right on that one. I'm going to get asked a million questions when I get back to the table". 

Taron chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm going to get the same when I head back to the boys, I can't even imagine what they're saying right now" he replied shaking his head and nodding towards the the other side of the room. Now it was my turn to let out a laugh, my gaze falling on three boys each looking more bewildered than the other as they watched Taron and I. "Here, let me help you with these love" Taron said suddenly, changing the subject and making me turn back to the bar just as the last of my order was placed in front of me. I watched as he grabbed a tray and loaded each of the drinks onto it, picking it up and gesturing with his head to lead the way, "After you darling".  _Darling._  My stomach flip flopped.  _Charming_  should be Taron Egerton's middle name. 

I tilted my head,"Must be true what they say about the British then. Ever the gentleman Taron" I exclaimed with a grin, "Thank you". Taron chuckled, "Don't believe everything you hear love" he answered, flashing a mischievous grin and following me as I started towards the table, "And you're welcome". We made our way towards the girls, the three of them still looking at me with the same confused expressions on their faces. I could practically see the questions on the tips of their tongues begging to be asked.  _Who is that? Is that really Taron Egerton? What is he doing here? And did you ask him to come here?_  I cleared my throat when we finally reached the table, looking at each of the girls in turn and trying my best to mouth 'be normal' without Taron noticing beside me. "Hello ladies" Taron announced with a grin that made me think of his Kingsman character almost instantly, watching as he put down the drinks tray and served them to each of the girls as we all watched on in surprise. "Hello" the girls replied in unison, Roxy looking up at me with wide, excited eyes and struggling to keep her smile at bay, Tash watching him intently with one perfectly manicured eyebrow raised. 

I shook my head and turned to Taron, "Girls, this is Taron. Taron this is Rhi, Roxy and Tash". He grinned, nodding to each of the girls. "Pleasure meeting you all. Sisters?" he asked, looking directly at Rhi and Roxy and chuckling when Roxy instantly rolled her eyes. "Is it that obvious?". Taron laughed, "It is when the girls are as gorgeous as you two". I shook my head as both girls immediately gushed.  _Definitely charming._ "So Taron" Tash said, shifting on her chair and purposely ignoring the daggers I was shooting her - I'd told her all about Taron and the last thing I needed was for her to repeat something I'd said about him, "How is it that you happen to be here at the same pub that the girls and I had decided to come to?".

Taron raised an eyebrow and glanced at me, grinning his utterly charming grin as he looked back over at Tash. "Well, as I was just explaining to Belle here, this place - The Prince, is me and the boy's local. We came here cos' as usual, we couldn't decide where else to go for a night out" he explained, glancing back at me and then at Tash. "Then, as luck would have it, you four lovely ladies walked in - one of which I just happened to be texting at the time" Taron added, glancing down at me for a third time and flashing a smile that threatened to turn me into a puddle on the floor. Tash raised her eyebrow again, opening her mouth to speak though not before I could interrupt her. "Taron please ignore my  _friend_  and her interrogation" I exclaimed emphasising the word 'friend' and shooting a death stare across the table at Tash. She grinned mischievously and winked, resting her chin in the palm of her hand and tapping her fingers against the side of her glass.

Taron let out a throaty laugh and reached out to touch his hand to the small of my back, "Don't be silly love. Tash is just being curious" he exclaimed, looking over at her and grinning when she nodded in agreement. I raised an eyebrow and shook my head, looking back over at Tash on the other side of the table - I was going to kill her if she kept on going. "Anyway, I'm going to let you lovely ladies be - I've gotta get back to the boys and answer the million questions they are going to have for me about you four". I chewed on the inside of my cheek to hide the feeling of disappointment that all of a sudden settled in my stomach -  _he was leaving already?_ "You know you don't have to go Taron, you're more than welcome to join us" Roxy suddenly interjected, smiling up at him and patting the empty space beside her. Taron smiled,  "As wonderful as that sounds, I don't want to crash your girl's night" he replied with a chuckle, "But I do appreciate the offer". 

He grinned at the girls before turning to face me, "So i'll see you a little later then? We can get a drink if you like?". I bit my lip - and just like that, the feeling in my stomach was replaced with excitement. I nodded gently, looking up into his beautiful green eyes. "I'd like that". Taron grinned back at me, excitement suddenly evidently clear on his face. "I'll see you later love" he said as he leaned in to kiss my cheek, his hand touching the small of my back again and sending tingles down my spine. I smiled, "I'll see you later Taron". He turned to the girls and waved goodbye, flashing one last gorgeous smile at me before walking back over to his friends. I let out a deep breath and turned to face the girls, a grin growing on my face when I found the three of them staring at me, amused. "Sit down babe" Tash commanded with one eyebrow raised, flicking her blonde hair and nodding to the free seat at the table, "You have some explaining to do".

\---

_Taron's POV:_

"I still don't understand why the hell we aren't sitting over there bro" Blake announced for the third time in less than ten minutes, running his fingers through his hair and looking over at Belle and her friends again. I sighed, "They're having a girls night Blake, come on mate. Do you really think they wanna be bothered by us?". Jack shook his head, "Exactly! A girls night! Why else would a group of girls come out to a bar like this if they didn't wanna get some male attention?". I rolled my eyes and glanced across at Paddy who was shaking his head as if to say 'you're wasting your time trying to explain it to them'. I shook my head and took a long sip of my beer, putting it back down on the table noisily.  _At least one of the boys agreed with me._

I looked around at the crowded pub, the noise in the room now seeming much louder than before. Small groups had formed near the stage at the front of the room, dancing and singing along to music from the band. The bar was now almost completely surrounded by patrons waiting to be served, and most of the tables in the pub had since been filled by groups of people. I glanced over my shoulder at Belle and her friends, smiling when I saw them all laughing at something one of the girls must have been saying. I grinned to myself, thinking about Belle again. She had the most adorable, musical laugh, not to mention her wide, gorgeous smile. Everything about her was gorgeous, in fact, the more I spoke to her and found out about her, the more amazing I thought she was - and I'd barely had a proper conversation with her yet. I exhaled softly and turned back to the boys, suddenly finding myself wondering if Belle was thinking about me just as much as I was thinking about her.

"Alright, alright! How's everyone going tonight?" Pete, the lead singer of the band suddenly asked into the microphone, the group having since finished their fourth song since their break. "As always, you guys are being a fantastic crowd. I'm seeing lots of Christmas parties around the room tonight, so I'd like to say Merry Christmas to those of you celebrating the holiday season!". A loud cheer rang out among the crowd and Pete grinned, running his fingers through his hair and clearing his throat into the microphone. "Now, as I'm sure many of our regulars already know, we often like to open up the floor to our audience. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it's a bit like an open mike session, or a karaoke night". Cheers and murmurs started to spread throughout the crowd, Blake suddenly letting out a loud whistle beside me.

"Fuck yeah, I love these things. Remember last time when you n' me got up there bro?" Blake asked, nudging Jack beside him with his shoulder. The two of them collapsed into laughter, Paddy and I trading amused looks as we too remembered their drunken rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. I let out a loud chuckle,  _oh what a night that had been._ I smiled nostalgically to myself as I realised just how long ago that night seemed now, how it really had been ages since the boys and I had had a night like that together. I turned back to face Pete on the stage, stealing another glance at Belle and her friends again - I'd be lying to myself if I said that I didn't wish I was sitting next to her right now. "So let's go everyone, who's gonna be the first one up here tonight? Dob your friends in if you need to!" Pete shouted at the front of the room, pacing the stage as he waited for the first willing participant, "Come on guys, no need to be shy!".

As Pete continued to speak at the front of the room, an idea slowly began to form in my mind. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol that had my brain buzzing or just the fact that I had spoken to Belle earlier, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a great idea - even if It had been a while since I'd done it. A grin started to grow on my face as I thought about what Belle's reaction would be, already knowing that the boys would be more than encouraging of my idea. Suddenly, almost as if he could hear what I was thinking, Jack nudged me under the table with his foot. "Taron bro, what about you, why don't you get up there? You know everyone will go bonkers for it, and probably Belle too. Get up and sing your George Michael song mate!". I ran my fingers through my hair and downed the last of my beer, swallowing noisily and flashing a sly grin across at Jack. "You read my mind mate. Now come on, I need your help". 

**Author's Note:**

> Please Like & Comment!  
> B x


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